Blind Faith
by NixxyNoxxy
Summary: Shisui wanted to die. He gave up his eye and his life for the good of the village. Though death did not greet him as he wished it would. Now he is thrown into a simple life he would have never anticipated for himself. He learned to accept the life that fate had given him, but everything begins to change again when a medic from the Leaf makes her way into his life.
1. Chapter 1

I didn't think being dead was going to be this painful, or painful at all. Gods, everything hurts. It's like I can feel pain in every cell. It hurts to breath, it hurts to think. This can't really be the after life. I would rather there be nothing then this. I try to open my eyes, but I see nothing. Have I lost my sight in the afterlife also? This has to be hell, that has to be the only explanation.

What had I done to be thrown in the pits of hell? I tried, I tried so hard, I know I failed, but damn it I tried. I gave up everything, and I mean everything for the greater good. What cruel god would do this?

I try to move my body in anyway, but it won't listen to me. I try to sigh, but not even my lungs will fill past shallow breaths. Slowly an aroma begins to fill my nostrils. Fish, an over whelming smell of fish. Which seems like an odd smell for hell. I mean it's not the most pleasant smell, but it isn't fully unpleasant.

Then the sound of water fills my ears. No, I am not dead. How is that even possible? No, I should be dead. There is no way for anyone to survive that fall. I let out groan as my eyebrow furrows.

"I think he is waking up" A child's voice chirps next to me. I try and move my head but it's not listening to my demands.

"How can you tell? Noni said that he has no eyes." A different child whispered by the side of my head.

"His face is twitching, and I swear that I saw his hand twitching."

"Well then you should get Noni."

"Nu uh, I mean if I am wrong she is going to smack me. You go tell her."

"So you want me to get hit?"..."You asshole."

"Oh come on, Noni doesn't hit you as hard."

"Back you urchins, give the boy some room!" I tried to turn my head to the gruff females voice that appeared. I suddenly felt calloused hands against my face. Even if she was trying to be gentle each touch felt like a hammer hitting my face. I try and speak up but I can't get any sound besides a grunt past my lips.

"Don't try and talk boy. I don't know what happened but you need to be still and rest." Boy? Who was this lady who called me boy? I have not been called boy since well before I was six. Does she not realize that she has a full blown Shinobi in front of her? I was no child. I gave out a grunt.

"Ohh, you are probably from a shinobi village aren't you. Well, BOY, you are just that, a child still. I don't care if you can kill or summon beasts or fly." She gruff voice spat out, the hands on my face placed more pressure at the corner of my eyes sockets. I winced at the pain. Her hands left my face and I felt something touch my lips.

"Take it, it will help you sleep. And you need to sleep, boy." She demanded as she shoved the tip of what I assumed a vile to my mouth. I coughed as the bitter liquid spilled into my mouth. She pulled the vile away, and I could feel her touching other parts of my body, lifting the clothes away then placing them back. I didn't even care anymore as slowly I began to feel the pull of sleep. I didn't even try to fight, I let it pull me under. Sleep would be a type of reprieve from the pain that I was in.

I awoke to the sound something hitting the ceiling. I tried to sit up, but a small hand pushed my shoulder down.

"Noni said you had to be still." A stern child's voice came out above me. I again tried to say something but my throat was rough and wouldn't let the words form. "She also said that when you woke up to make sure you eat and drank. She also said "Don't cross me boy" The child's voice attempted to imitate the gruff voice of the woman named Noni. I let my dry tongue roll in my mouth and nodded. There was really no use in fighting, it is not as if I could move much right now.

"Alright here, drink." I felt a small hand cradle my head and lift it up as a cup was brought to my lips. I drank the cool liquid, it felt like silk sliding against my sore throat. "Not too much, Noni says slow, or you might fall ill." The child said as they gingerly placed my head back on my pillow. "Ok now for food, all we have is a fish soup. I hope that is ok with you. I really don't like it, but when there is nothing else it will do." I could hear the their feet moving around and the rustle of something moving I let my attention drift back to the pounding of the ceiling. Suddenly my head was once again lifted as a spoon met my lips and the fish soup trickled into my mouth.

"My name is Hisako, figured you would want to know if you are staying for a while." Another spoonful touched my lips. I gave the child a small nod. Hisako, that was a female name right? It is difficult to tell the difference between male and female with a child's voice.

"Hey Hisako, Noni said she needs your help up on the deck." A slightly lower child's voice filled the room.

"Oh, ok, Koji" Hisako sighed and put one more spoon full of soup to my lips. I drank the broth slowly. "Ok, well you later boy." She giggled and all I heard was foot steps skip away. It was silent for a few minutes, before I noticed the steps walking towards me. They were slow and hesitant. Slowly they came to rest right next to me. I could feel uneven breath next to my ear.

"I don't know who you are, or why you are here, but if you cause my family any problems I will throw you back into that river and make sure that you don't come out breathing." The boys voice went down several octaves. He sounded almost as if he could be a man. I mentally rolled my eyes, but just gave the kid a small nod. That seemed to satisfy him as I heard his footsteps leave the room.

I let out a sigh. What in the name of the gods have I gotten myself into?

 **Hello everyone! So here is chapter one of Shishui's story. I hope you liked it so far. I know this chapter was short, hopefully my next will make up for it. I do want to give a warning that this will more then likely be a slow burn. I also will have manga/anime spoilers, so if you are not caught up read this with caution.**

 **Anywho thanks for your time! Hope ya have a great weekend!**


	2. Chapter 2

I don't even know how many days I have been here. I wake for a while, some one offers me food, water and, what I assume is nectar of the poppy and I quickly fall back into the land of the unconscious. When I am wakeful little has been said about what is going on. Seeing how my care takers seem to be children, it really isn't shocking. That's fine with me. I would rather be sleeping. There is no pain with sleeping.

I slowly regained consciousness again. The air was still, and there were low soft snores at my feet. I assume that it must be night time, but I am not sure. I moved my head, the over whelming pain that I had once endured now had become a dull throb. A small grunt escaped my lips.

"Awake boy?" The gravel laced voice of Noni came from what I believed was the other side of the room. I nodded my head.

"Yes," My voice was rough from not being used. "How long?" I tried to pull myself up.

"You may not want to do that so soon." She sighed, but did not attempt to stop my movements. "We found you about a week and a half ago. Floating face up, which is lucky on your part." She grew quite for a moment, and the air tensed. "How did you end up in the river." I could hear her rustle and come towards me. There was a low rumble of a chair being pulled on a wood floor.

"I meant to die." I croaked. "I had jumped off a cliff into a waterfall," I heard a slow deep intake of breath.

"Well, it seems that the gods may have had other plans for you." I snorted at her. Other plans? Well it seemed that their plans were just to torture me. The room then seemed to tilt, and I gripped onto what I assume was a cot that I was on.

"Where am I?"

"You are currently are on my fishing boat. Name is Noni, which I am sure one of the children have told you. We found you just as we set out, and I am sorry but we could not afford to turn back for your medical attention. However I do know a decent amount of healing. I have very limited chakra, but it was enough to set and knit your bones back together. Though I did not have enough to take care of the surface damage, so I stitched what I could." I once again felt her hands on my face. "I am just making sure your wounds are healing well." I stilled under her inspection. "We will be making port in a few days, and hopefully you will be able to drag your own ass off my ship." Her hands left my face and began to touch my shoulders. I let out a sigh and nodded. "What is your name boy?"

"Shisui."

"No last name?"

"No," I really should not have even given my first name, but it just fell from my mouth. To my clan I was dead, I had written a note telling them how disappointed I was in them, and that they were the reason that I chose death instead of life. I had rejected them in the harshest way possible. There was no need to for me to claim my linage, especially now that I no longer had my eyes. "Call me Sui." I asked softly. Her reply was a gruff grunt.

"I'll probably just call you boy, kid, or urchin. That is if you stick around."

"I have no where else to go." My voice came out softer and quieter then I had intended. I moved my hand to run through my hair. I was surprised to not feel it against my fingers, but rather just skin and stubble.

"I had to shave your head to stitch some wounds on your scalp." Her voice was farther away then it had been. How was she moving with out making noise? "Even if you can't see it, I didn't think you would like random bald patches."

"Hn" I ran my fingers near the back of my skull, stopping once I felt the stiff threads of stitches. We sat there in silence for a while. The air was filled with tension that could have been cut with a knife. I heard the scrapping of the chair again. I could feel her eyes boring into me, I turned my head to where I thought she was.

"How old are you?" Her voice was much closer then I thought, making me jump.

"Thirteen."

"Any Family?"

"No."

"Hm." I heard the slight rustling of clothes, letting me know that she had settled back into her chair. "As I said we will be making port in a few days. We will be returning to the Inn that my brother and I run. If you would like you can stay, but it isn't a free ride do you understand? You have to work just as everyone else." I nodded my head. Where else was I to go? I couldn't return to my village, Danzo would kill me. Then again why would it matter if he did? I had just tried to kill myself. Do I want to die? I was sure that I did when I jumped off that cliff into the water fall, but now? I am not sure.

"I am blind, what work could I possibly do?" I sighed. A loud Snort came out of Noni, and her small hands grabbed my chin pulling my face to in her direction.

"Listen, boy, you have no eyes. That is not the end. You still have two arms, two hands, two legs, and I am assuming some what of a brain. Thought I may question that, with the whole jumping off a cliff, but I will give you the benefit of doubt. Do not pity yourself, people have less and they make due." She snorted again as she released my chin with a sudden jerk. "If you are going to be useless, just find another cliff to throw yourself from, because I do not have time for the weak." There was a sudden slam near the chair she was sitting on which made me jump. Her feet clashed loudly with the floor as she stomped away.

By gods, who was this broad? She insists that I am nothing more then a boy, a child, but refused to deal with weaknesses? Being a child is a weakness. Her thinking was so bizarre to me, that all I could do was shake my head. This world that I have blindly entered may be even more confusing then the Uchiha world in which I have grown. With an exasperated breath I lower my torso so I am once again laying down.

"Noni's really not all that bad." A whisper came from the foot of my bed. "I mean, how can she be when she has taken all of us in, ya know?" Hisako's voice floated to me.

"Taken you in? You are not her child?" My brow raised.

"Oh no, none of us are her children." I hear her turning in her bed.

"So what? She runs and orphanage?" I try and lift my hand to scratch my neck, but it seems to have gained weight in the past few minutes.

"Hmmm, well no. We aren't up for adoption or anything like that." I could hear her fidgeting under her sheets. "Noni, she just kinda finds the ones with no hope, and takes them in and helps. She'll help you too. She may not be nice about it, but she will always be there." She stilled, then I could hear a long yawn escape her mouth.

"Hisako."

"Hmm?"

"Go to sleep."

"Okay," I couldn't help but smile at the girl. She seemed to have such a sweet innocence about her, which was the opposite of Noni. I could also hear the respect that she had for this woman. Perhaps the gods put her in my path for a reason. I could once again feel sleep pulling me in, and I let it, as I thought of a future that I had almost given up on.

"Wake up urchin!" I jump at the voice screaming in my ear. "Noni said you should try and move around." The boy named Koji snaps at me. I grunt as I try and pull myself up. "Because no one want's to have to carry your ass off this boat." This kid probably has to be the most annoying creature I have ever met. I snort at him as I finish pulling myself up. I grit my teeth as I push my legs over the side of the cot I had been sleeping on.

"Wait don't move," I still then I feel something wrap over my eyes and around my head. I raise my hand and try to pull it off. "Just leave it, you look creepy with your eyelids all sunk in." Koji stated as he swats my hands away and continues working the knot on the back of my head. "There, now you just look like a freak, and not a creep." He laughs at me. I clench my teeth and push the boy back. I touch the cloth that is wrapped around my head. It feels odd to have something covering my eyes, but at least I don't have to fight my lids from trying to open anymore.

I take a deep breath in, my hands griping onto the edge of my cot and begin to push myself off. I stand slowly, every muscle in my body screaming for me to lay back down, but I know that little beast Koji is watching me, and I can tell he is just smirking. So I will my self to stand straight. Once I have my chin raised, and my shoulders back I take an uneven breath. I shift my weight between my feet, testing my muscles and bones in my legs. It does seem that Noni did a good job in knitting the bones back in place. I slowly lift one foot. The moment my toes lift from the ground all the strength of my legs dissipates. I loose my balance, and stumble to the ground. In front of me I hear Koji chortle.

"Is the ninja having a hard time walking?" He laughs out. I grind my teeth as my head turns in the direction of his annoying voice.

"What is your problem kid?" I growl as I slowly pull my self to my hands and knees. My head begins to pound as I pull myself into a seated position, I find my fingers rubbing my temple.

"I don't trust shinobi, they are nothing more then mindless pawns for the highest bidder." I felt something thrown into my lap, I reached down and let my hand feel the long fabric, I let it slide through my palm until my fingers fluttered over cool metal. The tips of my fingers traced the leaf pattern in the middle. It was my forehead protector. My muscles relaxed as I slumped my shoulders.

"What happened?" I kept my head down pointed to the floor.

"Shinobi destroyed my village looking for a missing nin. Guess what, he wasn't there, and they destroyed everything and didn't even look back once they were done." He spat. I nodded my head, the system of our world was indeed fucked up.

"I am no longer a shinobi," I said as I tossed the forehead protector to the side. "Koji, I may not understand what you have been through fully, but I understand where you are coming from. The current system that many villages have are flawed. From the councils to the clans. I promise to you that I will not harm your family, or friends." I let my hand run over my scalp, the stubble scrapping against my hand.

"Word mean very little." His voice was tense. I let out a long sigh and nodded my head.

"I will just have to show you then." We sat in a tense silence for a while. I could barely hear the boy breathing next to me. I heard him slowly begin to approach. There was a hesitance in his steps. I then felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, you have to try to walk for a couple of steps. If you don't Noni will tan my hide." He sighed. I reached up and took the kids hand. His grip was stronger then I thought it would be, which surprised me again when he pulled me up easily. I tried to release my hand from his, but his grip became tighter.

"You want to fall on your ass again? Just hold on, I'll walk you around the room and get you back to your bed." His voice was low. I am pretty sure it was laced with annoyance.

"Hn"

He did just as he said. We walked the small room and he did not let me fall. Though once I got to my cot, my body was covered in sweat all the muscles in my body burned as if the gates of hell opened around me. Koji helped my into my cot, my body was trembling as I lie there.

"Well you got farther then I expected. Be ready to do another lap in a few hours. I have to go topside. The mongers will be here shortly and I need to go help." Koji said in a bored tone. All I could do was nod. It was humbling that a walk around a small room could take me down. I was know to have great strength amongst my clan, both in visual prowess, and in combat, and now I was a blind boy who could barely walk. I took a deep breath and tried to forget the pain that raked my body.

As the next few days passed I found myself settling into a routine of sleeping, walking around the room with Koji and having the occasional chat with Hisako. Noni would occasionally come and check on my wounds, but she would keep the visits brief. By the third day I found it much easier to walk, my body no longer shook or drenched itself in sweat. It was a relief when I could walk with out the assistance of Koji. While we had come to an understanding, that little beast still got under my skin.

Most of my time though was spent alone, and I was becoming restless. There was only so much resting that one person could take. I would find my mind wandering to the problems of my clan and of my village. Gods, hopefully Itachi has figured out what to do. With a deep breath I pulled myself from my bed, and walked slowly to where I believed the door to the room was. I raised my hands in front of me and felt the wall for some type of handle, or molding to notify me of an exit. After a few moments of groping I managed to find the handle. I swung the door open and shuffled my feet slightly as I let my hands move in front of me. I took a few hesitant steps forwards when my foot was met with something hard. I bent down and felt around my foot, it seems that I was standing in front of a step. I let my fingers run over rough wood and traced another step. I nodded to myself as I came to the conclusion that it was a stair case. I touched the walls and searched for a banister. Once I found it I let my finger encase it and I began to pull myself up.

While taking multiple daily strolls in my little room was now easier, I didn't think that walking up a stair case would prove that much of a problem. Well, I surely did over estimate myself. After climbing up the seven stairs I was breathing heavily, my lungs and my muscles burned. Well that was a great idea, I chided myself as my body slumped down against the wall.

"What are you doing kid?" Noni barked. Thought there may have been a tiny bit of concern, but I couldn't tell.

"I got bored, and just needed to leave that room." I panted as I let me head rest against the wall.

"Ohh wanted to get out and enjoy the sights?" She spat out sarcastically. I let my lips pull down into a frown as I turned my head in the direction of her voice.

"I am sorry was that too soon?" She laughed. I am starting to think that there may be something very wrong with this woman. I just chuff at her and move my head forward.

"You are going to have to grow a thicker hide there kid. I would think that a shinobi would have one, but I guess I was wrong." She patted my head. She patted my head like I was a fucking dog. There is really nothing I can do besides bat her hand away and scowl. "Learn to laugh at the tragic, it makes life a little more bearable." She said in a softer voice. I just sit there not acknowledging her. She let's out a sigh. "We are going to be pulling in some nets soon, so don't wander any further on the deck. I cannot guarantee that you will not get hit." She then walks away.

I remain where I am sitting and just breath the air on deck. I have groan accustom to the constant smell of fish, but it is nice to be out in the open were the air actually moves. The wind on my skin feels like fine silk as it passes. It is also refreshing to hear the water, with out it being muffled by the thick wood that the boat is made of. I have been with out sight for I think two weeks, and I can notice that my other senses have sharpened. I not only hear the birds chirping and cawing, but I can also hear their wings beating on the wind. I know there is no way that I would have noticed those delicate noises if I were looking at them.

The world is completely different to me. I am trying my best to adjust, but I often find that I mourn my eyes. Especially the one that bastard Danzo took. I pray that he will find his end soon. I do find myself regretting that I did not take the man down. He is absolutely vile. I let out a long breath and shake my head from such thoughts. They were of no use. I was starting over, there was nothing left for me to do, even if I wanted to.

I jump as a feel a warm body sit next to me. She doesn't say anything to me but I can tell it is Hisako. She had the aura about her, even though she was young she had a calming presence. I am surprised when she actually leans into me, but I don't push her away, I just let her be.

"Are you hungry?" Her mouse like voice asks. I give her a small nod. Then I feel her take my hands and place what feels like bread. "Bet you are tired of fish soup huh?" I smile at the girl.

"You know it," If I could I would have winked, but I just settled for a large smile to dance on my lips.

"I don't know how you ate it for so long, I mean looking at those fish heads staring..." She became quite and I could feel her body tense. "I am sorry," She whispers. I reach up and grab she shoulder.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I give her a small smile. "Fish heads aren't that bad. When I was on a long mission, I ate bugs." I raised my eye brows. I could sense her shock , and I could almost hear her jaw hit the ground.

"Bugs!"

"Yeah, and they really are not that bad, well except when their legs get caught in your teeth." I gently pushed my shoulder into her small frame.

"Gross," Her body shuddered.

"Hisako, you little urchin! Get over here we need your help hauling these nets up." Noni howls in the distance. I feel her stand up and she pats my head. What the fuck was this pat an Uchiha day?

"Well the boss calls, I will talk to you later Sui! Enjoy that bread." Then I hear the quick patter of her feet hitting the deck as she ran to help.

I sat there for a few hours, just enjoying being outside. I had enjoyed the bread that Hisako had given me. It also alerted me to the fact that my taste had even sharped a bit.

I could feel the air begin to chill, as I guessed night had begun to fall. I finally stood from my sitting position. My muscles strained a bit, but I stretched and they began to feel much looser. Unfortunately there was only one place for me to go, and it was down back into the hole that I had been sitting in for the past few weeks.

The journey down stairs was far easier then it had been up. Which I know should not have surprised me, it doesn't take a genius to realize going down was easier. Once I enter the room, I shuffle to the bed counting my steps. I suppose this is a habit that I had to form. I needed to know where things were, and that was the only way I could figure out how to "see" my surroundings. Once I found my cot, I laid down and closed my eyes forcing sleep to envelope me.

"Sui, Sui, Sui." A tiny voice chimed in my ear. I let out a groan and moved my head in the direction of Hisako's voice.

"Do I hear a mouse?" I say in a rough voice. The girl giggles.

"No we are home." I could hear her clothes shuffle as she stood up. I could hear her feet shuffle away then she stops, she stands for a second "Are you going to come? Or do you need some one to haul your ass off this boat?" I could feel the smile on her face, I let out a low chuckle.

"Hisako?"

"Yeah?"

"How old are you?"

"I am going to be seven in five months." I nod and smile at her. She is Sasuke's age. She reminds me of him in a way.

"No, I am not going to need anyone to "haul my ass off this boat," as you so eloquently put it." I turn my head and smirk at her. She lets out a small giggle and then runs out of the room.

I pull myself up and walk to the door. I stop right in front of the stairs. I take a deep breath, mentally and physically prepare myself for the stairs. I grab the banister and start up.

They were not as bad as last time, but I was still winded a bit when I got to the top, and was forced to sit down for a minute. I leaned my head back and let the warm air dance on my skin.

"Come on, get movin, I want off this boat, and Noni says that I have to wait for your sorry ass." Koji says as he walks up to me and kicks my foot lightly. Do all children speak in this manner? I mean I know that if I were found talking like this to an adult like this, when I was a child, my Aunt would have my hide. Though if Koji follows Noni's thoughts I am still very much a child.

"Good morning to you Koji," I say as I stand up. He gives me a grunt and starts to walk away. I just stand there. I have no clue where I am going and the kid walks away? "Hey!"

"Aww sorry man, I forgot you can't see." He says in a sheepish voice, which I am honestly surprised to hear. "So how do you want to do this? I mean I don't want to hold your hand or anything " I sigh and run my hand down my face.

"How about I hold on to your shoulder, then people won't think that you have a thing for me." Koji takes a sharp breath and then snorts. I just give him a sweet smile. He growls as he places my hand on his shoulder. I try and not laugh.

Koji is surprising thoughtful as he leads me off the boat. I honestly thought that the kid was going to be in a hurry and not take account for my blindness. He walks at a slow and steady pace and even warns when the footing becomes uneven. I don't even bother trying to talk to him, I am concentrating too much on not trying to fall. Once we make port my legs feel off. They burn, but I had expected that, the difference is the hollow swaying feeling that I get when I set my feet on land. Koji stops for a second.

"Land sickness, it will take a while for you to get use to solid ground." I hear him murmur, I nod, thankful for his consideration. We finally begin to move again and the land is uneven, and difficult to walk on. I feel the earth begin to rise as we start to go up a hill. I grit my teeth as my body begins to burn and ache from use. "It's not far." The kid breaths over his shoulder. Koji may be a little shit sometimes, but I am extremely grateful to him right now. I just grunt and push myself through the pain.

We walk another five minutes before we hit the inn. I wonder how long it would take some one walking a normal pace to make it from the ship to here. Koji informs me that we have to go up four stairs, he takes my hand from his shoulder and places it on the banister. I slowly move my foot forward until it connects with the first step. My face tenses as I climb up. I have not moved this much in weeks, and it is not agreeing with me. I can feel the sweat begin to push through my pores, and my muscles begin to shake. I finally reach the top step and Koji takes my hand and places it back onto his shoulder. He moves slower as we enter the inn.

Only a few steps in and I am placed at some type of table. Sitting there for a moment and letting my body compose it's self is like no relief I can explain. I lean back in the hard wooden chair and attempt to take a few deep breaths.

"Koji!" A man's voice hollers from a distance. I direct my head to the voice. "I thought you were not making port until tomorrow." I hear heavy foot steps approach and the sound of a hand hitting something, which I think is Koji's back, back but I am not certain. "Not that I am complaining about it. It's always nice when you come back early."

"Yeah, Noni said that we had caught more then enough for the mongers on the route and for the inn, so she decided to call it. I think she was just sick of eating fish." He laughed. His voice sounded years younger as he talked to this man, I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well let me attend to our guest, and then we will sit and have tea." The man said as he took a few steps forwards to me.

"Yosh, he isn't a guest." The boy laughed. I heard the steps come to a sudden halt.

"She didn't" The man said in a flat voice.

"Found this one floating in the river." Koji jabbed a finger into my shoulder, I frowned at him and attempted to stand up. Though my body had decided that was a bad idea, and I wound up falling back into my chair. I heard the man sigh and then began to walk forward. There was a screech of a chair against wood, and then the sound of him sitting.

"Well my name is Yosh, and it seems you are the newest misfit to our little island." I just furrowed my brow as I tilted my head in his direction. I could feel his gaze on me.

"Sui." I gave the man a nodd.

"Ok Sui, let me get you something to eat, then I figure out were you can rest. It seems like you need it." He pushed his chair out and started to walk away.

"Thank you," I heard his feet slow.

"You are welcome, but be sure to tell Noni the same." With that he walked away.

"Ok, I am going to help get everything shut down on the boat. So, you stay here with Yosh ok?" Koji placed a hand on my shoulder. I nodded as he walked out of the inn.

It was quite here, it didn't seem like there were any guests. I wonder if this was an actual inn, or perhaps just a small bed and breakfast. I could hear the banging of pots and the sizzle of oil. The air began to fill with the smell of real food. I could already feel my saliva glands preparing themselves. After a few more minutes I can hear Yosh walking to my table. I hear the plate hit the table in front of me. I take a deep breath in through my nose and let aroma linger. If I were alone, I am sure that I would let out some type of groan or moan, at just the smell. I think that may make the man sitting next to me a bit uncomfortable,luckly I am able to restrain myself.

"It's just chicken, with vegetables. Do you want to try and use chop sticks or just use your hands." I didn't even answer him, I just started to pick up the food with my fingers and shoved it in my mouth. He sits in silence as I eat, all table manners have been forgotten. Once I could no longer feel any food on my plate I lean back and sigh.

"You act as if Noni didn't feed you." He laughed.

"Fish soup, lots of fish soup." I answer.

"Yeah she really doesn't cook well, unless it can go into one pot, she is not interested." I hear the plate being pulled across the table as he gathers it. He walks away. I remain sitting, because what else is it that I am suppose to do? Yosh comes back quickly. "Well let's get you up into your room, you look exhausted." I nod, a bit embarrassed that walking from the boat to here had taken such a drain on me. I move to get up, but once again my muscles don't want to listen. I breath in deeply, and try and force them to work, but all I get in return is a tremble that goes through my body.

"Here let me help." I feel a large hand take my wrist and pull my arm up, wrapping it around a giant pair of shoulders. This man must be a mountain. I may be slim in terms of build, but in no way am I short, but I can tell this man towers over me.

He pulls me off my chair taking most of my weight. I try and walk next to him but my feet just barely shuffle on the ground. He lets out a sigh.

"Ok kid, I am just going to have to carry you." If my eyes could widen they would be the size of a dinner plate. Carry me? Like I was a child that used up too much energy at the park. No, I do not need to be carried. I snorted at him as I again tried to move my feet. Which they did a little better. "Believe me it is not a big deal around here, you will come to see." Come to see what? I have no eyeballs! What does this giant just picks people up and carries them like dolls? Before I could say anything Yosh lifted me up and placed me on his back, his hands gripping my thighs. I felt like a back pack on his back. How big was this guy?

I scowel as her carried me through the Inn. It was hard enough on my ego to have to be guided when walked, but now to get a piggy back ride like a child. Well, my ego was squashed like a bug that accidentally wandered under Yosh's-what I assume-massive boots. Luckly it didn't take long to get to the room that I was to use. Yosh slowly let me slide off of his back onto a real bed.

"Alright Sui, get some rest. I'll send up someone to get you once dinner is prepared." I just nod at him. I know right now my face has to be as red as an Uchiha fan.


	3. Chapter 3

I didn't even bother getting the lay out of my room. Once I was sitting on the bed, I just threw myself backwards and let my body sink in to the mattress. Everything ached from my journey from the boat. Being this weak and helpless was beginning to grate on my nerves. I should not have had to need a giant carry me! I scoffed at myself and then rolled onto my side. Is this how life was going to be now? I clench my jaw as I snorted out of my nose. No I would not let life be like that, it was not acceptable.

I eventually found myself once again going to sleep. Sleeping is the only place were I have any type of peace and I welcome it. I still have my eyes, Itachi didn't see me die, and everything was fine in the leaf. I wake up with those thoughts singing in my head, to be faced with the fact that I didn't die, I now have no eyes, Itachi will probably never be the same, and the leaf was not stable. I wonder if anything had been done yet? I have faith that Itachi can figure something out, but leaving the honor of our entire clan to a thirteen year old, is ridiculous. I know it it. We should not have had such a burden placed on us. It's an odd thing to be a shinobi and a child at the same time. Itachi and I were thought to be prodigies, but we were still children. I would never admit it, but shit, I still don't even have that much body hair right now. We should be enjoying the love of our families, siblings, and clan, but no, greed had robbed that from me. Greed had robbed that from Itachi. Gods please help the Uchiha.

I let out a long sigh just as I was pulling myself out of bed a knock rang on the door. "Yeah." I yelled out to the direction of the noise.

"Yosh wants to see you, and dinner is almost done." Koji's voice filled the room as he entered. I nod at him and began to cautiously stand. My body still ached from the events of today. I ground my teeth trying to push the pain away, which only resulted in a sore jaw. Once I am finally off of the bed I let out a long sigh and relax my mouth. I heard Koji shuffling as he walks up to me, then he takes my hand, which I jump at, and places it on his shoulder. Once I understood what he was doing I nod at him and we start to walk through the inn. Koji was just as careful with telling me my surroundings as he had been when we left the boat. I am grateful for his diligence, and I try to count my steps as he navigated me to the kitchen, thought I am almost completely sure that I had not counted correctly.

The smells that filled the air were beautiful and it alerts me that we have entered the heart of the kitchen. Thinking that the smell is beautiful is kinda an unusual way to describe scents, but that was all that came to mind. It was almost like you could smell the care that Yosh was taking in the kitchen. My stomach began to tighten with hunger.

The sounds were also like a piece of music, the hissing of the oils, the purposeful clangs of the pots as the spoons hit the metal. I had never thought that cooking could produce this type of affect on my other senses. Even without my sight I could tell this is what Yosh enjoyed. The air was warm, but it was warm with energy and comfort.

"Yosh!" Koji yelled over the noise. I heard once last clang of the pan as the noises began to subside, it seemed he was taking the food from the burner. I heard him walking over to us. My brows raise as I notice that he had quite a light step for some one so large.

"Thanks Koji. Ya mind setting up the table for us kiddo?" I heard Koji give a grunt and then leave the kitchen. I chew on the inside of my lip, but stood still knowing what to do.

"So, Koji tells me that you are a shinobi?" His voice was strong and gentle at the same time. I hear him take a few steps forward. I move my head in the direction of his voice and gave a nod.

"That is correct, I was a shinobi," I kept my head in the direction that he was standing.

"And you tried to kill yourself?" I let out a groan. I didn't think Noni would have told the kids that. I nod once again.

"I did."

"And your village thinks that you have died, right?" I could hear his hand move over the stubble on his face.

"Yes, I left a note, and I took all precautions to have my body properly disposed of once my heart stopped beating." I let my hand travel to the back of my neck and I began to scratch it. That was one of the first things you are taught when you are a Uchiha, how to dispose of yourself if you are mortally wounded. If there was one possession that the clan cherished the most, it was their blood limit secrets.

"There is no way that you could be considered a missing nin?" I slowly shake my head at him.

"No, every base had been covered. Though, I am not much use to the village in the state that I am in, and that they are well aware of. Now I cannot possibly guarantee with once hundred percent certainty that they would never look for me, I can let you know that it is indeed slim." I could hear a small hum coming from the man. Then he made a sudden movement that made pots clang, which in turn made me jump.

"We have kids here, young kids. I don't want to have hunter nins come down on this place. Everyone has been through too much to get dragged into the violence of the shinobi world. We live a peaceful life here, and Noni has worked hard to keep it that way. I just want to make sure that there is no threat looming." Yosh's voice remained strong and gentle. He wasn't threatening me, and I fully understood his logic. If this was two years ago, I may have been insulted by his statement. But now that my eyes are gone, they have been opened to a world of violence and the need for power. I nod my head to him. "And I also don't want the kids to get too attached if you are going to try and dispose of yourself again. They would not be able to handle it. They may come off as a rough and hardened bunch, but they are all broke and the glue that is holding most of them together isn't as strong as it seems." His voice was quite and was painted in sadness and concern. I had a feeling that he was not only talking of the children in his care, but also for himself.

"I am not planning on trying to kill myself again. When Noni found me she said that the gods may have other plans for me, and I wonder if that is true. The reasons behind my suicide attempt were..." I had to stop and take a breath I could feel the moisture dripping from my empty socket. "Unprecedented. Also, if by chance there were hunter nins that came, then I would not let anyone get harmed because of me. I gave my word to Koji and an Uch.. I always keep my word." I heard the man sigh as he walked away to do something in the kitchen.

"Ok, I am going to give you the benefit of doubt here kid, but please don't make me regret it." I could hear dished moving and feet shuffling. "Grab onto my shoulder and I'll take you to the table." He said as he stood in front of me. I nodded and reached out to him. There was no way that I was going to be able to reach the top of his shoulders, so I just let my hand lay flat on his back. We slowly made out way to the table. He stopped at the table depositing what he had in his hands, then he reached back and grabbed my arm and placed my hand on the back of a chair. I pulled it out and took a seat.

"Thank you, Yosh." I turn my head in the direction I believed he was in. He replied by giving me a gentle pat on the back and walked off. It was quite in the room and it seemed that I was the first one there. I shifted in my seat, a bit uncomfortable not knowing my surroundings.

That's when I heard the sound of the impending stamped coming in. I couldn't tell how many there were, but they were loud. Are all kids this loud? Was I? They all pretty much ignored me and the sounds of wood chairs being dragged back filled the air.

"Hey Sui, how are you doing?" Hisako's small voice asked as she took a seat next to me. I smile at the girl.

"I have been better, but still pretty good." I lean back in my chair.

"Koji said that you did really well getting off the boat, you know. All of us didn't think you would be moving as much as you are." I could hear the smile in her voice. This girl probably had the kindest eyes, and it was unfortunate that I would never see them.

"I always like to go above and beyond." I tilted me head and gave her a little nod. She let out a small giggle.

"Ok, everyone here?" Noni barked as she walked in the room. I could hear her walk to the table and take a seat. "Ok you little brats, you notice that we have a new one here. His name is Sui, and he is blind as a bat. So I am going to need your help getting him accustom to the lay out of this place, and the chores he is to do." A murmur ran over the table and I could feel my face getting warmer under all the stares. "Sui, you already know Yosh, Koji and Hisako. Then there is Yumma, Goro, and Chiyo who is the house keeper." Each person gave some type on introduction noise. I just nod in their general direction. It seemed that Yumma and Goro were both children also. "Ok, well let's eat I am starving." Noni sighed, I could hear her pulling out her chair and sitting.

"Do you want me to make you a plate?" Hisako chirped next to me.

"Yes please." I nod at the girl. She loads my plate and pushes it in front of me, I decide to once again use my hands to eat. I should be trying to use chop sticks, but I just didn't have the patience for that today. The plus side of being blind was I didn't have to worry about others glaring at me for my lack of table manners right not. Though I sincerely doubt anyone at the table was judging my actions. Dinner turned out to be very pleasant. The two new kids asked of the time we had spent on the boat, Yosh filled in Noni on the events at the inn. It was nice. They were like a family and that is something that I had missed greatly.

Once dinner was finished I began to make my way to my room only to be intersected by Hisako.

"Before you sleep you should take a bath and get the fish smell off. I think that Goro has some clothes that will fit better then anything from Yosh or Koji." I just give her a grunt and nod. I was already tired from the trip down to the table and now climbing the stair up had worn me out. I let her take my hand and guide me to a bathroom. I worry for a second that I may not be able to find my way back to my room, but Hisako assures me she would be back with the clothes and would help me to my room.

She guides me into the bathing area, and it did feel a little odd to have a young girl showing me were the toilet and shower were. If she felt the same way she didn't made it apparent. She held my hand and had it run over where the soaps, towels, nobs of the area. Once she was satisfied that I knew the basic lay out, she skipped off for the clothes. I move slowly as I removed my clothing, my body fighting each one of my movements. I remove the knot of the blind fold and put it down on the counter. I briefly let my fingers run over my sockets. The feeling of the sunken skin of the lids was one that made my stomach tighten. I let my hands fall from my face and started to finger the bottom of my shirt and begin to pull it up. I groan as I twist my body to take it off. After fighting my body for a few minutes to remove my clothing I was finally nude. I turn the knobs of the shower on and test the water, it took me a couple tries to adjust the knobs to obtain the warmth that I desired. It is odd all that you take for granted, from taking clothes off with out pain to being able to see the knobs of the shower.

I wash slowly, not only because of the gnawing pain of my body but also enjoying the first shower that I had taken in nearly a month. I find myself leaning against the tiled walls of the shower and letting the water slam into me. My lids start to feel heavy and it was becoming difficult to keep them open. I let out a yawn and turn the tap off. I wish for nothing more then to stay under the blissful stream of water, but there is no way I wanted to fall asleep in the shower and have Hisako find me. I groped the wall near the side of the shower and finally find the towel. Just as I began to dry myself I heard a knock on the door. I try my best to position the towel to make sure that I didn't flash the young girl on the other side. I step out of the shower, and reach for the door, but first I run my hands one more time over the towel, making sure that it is positioned correctly and open the door.

"umm... H.. h.. here are the clothes from Goro," She places the bundle in my hands. "I..I... um.. I will just wait out here until you are done." I could feel the air move as she closes the door. I smirk as I began to dress myself. It was really a relief to have on clean clothes. I didn't realize that I missed the sensation so much. I attempt to put on the blindfold again but my arms are aching and my fingers kept on fumbling. With a sigh I let my arms fall to the side, and open the door. I must have startled Hisako, since she made let out a small squeal. I give her an apologetic smile.

"Ready?" She must have been sitting, as I heard a good amount of rustling before she walks forward and took my hand in hers. We walk the rest of way in silence. Once she delivered me to my room she guides me down to my bed. She grabbed my other hand and took the blindfold out of it. "Do you need help with this?" She whispered. I nod at her. I feel the cloth cover the bridge of my nose and her tiny hands trailing the cloth over the sides of my scalp. She gingerly tides the knot in the back. "Too tight?" She asked as she let go of the cloth strip.

"No, it is perfect. Thank you Hisako. I smile at her.

"Why do you wear it?" She asks as I feel the bed shift notifying me that she sat down.

"Well, Koji gets a little freaked out with what my lack of eyes look like. I just don't want to make any one uncomfortable." I let my hand run over my chin.

"Koji can be an asshole." She says sternly, I chuckle at her.

"Well it makes me feel more comfortable also. It helps me not think about it too much." I heard her give out a little hum and.

"I don't think you need to cover your face, but if it makes you happy." The springs of the bed shift as she starts to stand. I jump as she kisses my cheek. "Well good night Sui." She scampers out of my room quickly. I just sat on the edge of my bed smirking and shaking my head. Oh boy, it does seem that she had developed a small crush. I lay down still smirking and let the exhaustion claim my body.

I woke up and felt myself gripping onto something fleshy. Then I felt something weakly hitting my chest. What the hell it happening. I flex my fingers and I can feel a strong rhythmic pounding.

"Shisui." A rough weak voice calls out. Shocked at my voice being said I immediately drop my hands, there was a sickening thunk and I begin to take a step back falling on to my bed. My heart feels as if it dropped to the pits of my stomach.

"Oh gods, no, no no." I scramble to pull myself up and grope for the person I was just had my hands wrapped on. I reach out and touch what I believe was a ankle or a leg to have them kick away as they crawled backward. Then room is filled with sputtering and coughing. "Are you ok?" I almost scream out in panic.

"Don't worry about it kid," Noni coughs out, taking deep breaths.

"Noni! I am so sorry, oh god, I didn't mean to. I am so sorry." I could feel the bandage over my eyes collecting the moisture that was falling out of my socket. I fall off the bed and crumble into myself. How could I have done that? How could I have hurt Noni, I promised Koji. Oh gods, what if that had been one of the kids? I sob, I sob like I never have before. I feel a small but strong hand grab onto my shoulders and begin to rub my back.

"It's ok Shisui. It was my fault, I should have known not to try and wake you, but you were screaming and grasping at your eye sockets. Shhh, it's ok." Noni's usually rough and loud voice was low and kind as she continued to rub my back. All I could do was cry. She would let out a cough here and there which only made my crying deepen. I should not be crying this was not what ninjas do. Tears were useless, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop as agony racked my body fully for the first time. This was unlike anything I had ever felt. I was disgusted, at hurting Noni, at failing Itachi, failing everyone. Why couldn't I just have died?

"I am so sorry, so so so sorry, so sorry." The chant keeps falling past my lips, Noni just rubs my back. I sob into her. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to let you down, all of you down." I wasn't just apologizing to Noni, but to all I had let down. My anxiety of the coupe that the Uchiha's were planning began to flare. How many people were going to die if Itachi failed? It all came down on me like a rocks slide. My body shook violently with the sobs that I could not control. Noni pulled me tighter into her embrace caressing me with her thumbs. Slowly I succumb to the exhaustion that began to pull at my mind.

I slowly begin to wake up, I tense as I realize that my body is being held tightly. My head pounds as I turn it, I still expect to be able to open my eyes, but that will never happen again. I let out a slow breath as I reach around and start to pull the arms off of me. A low growling grunt hits my ears.

"You up kid." Noni's voice was rougher then usual.

"Yeah," Well and it seems my voice was in the same condition. She shifted her weight under me and lets go of her grip. I pull myself out of her lap and just sit awkwardly next to her.

"Noni I..."

"Don't. You have apologized enough for a life time." I heard the creaking if the floors under her as she pulls herself up. "You have some serious demons Shisui, I'll let the kids know not to wake you during nightmares." She patted the top of my head. "You think you can find the dinning room?" I nod, keeping my face pointed to the ground. "Ok, well Yosh should have breakfast ready soon. Then we will get to your chore of the day." She stood there for a second, I could feel her gaze on me. I turn my head away, even thought I can't see her the shame I feel makes it to were I can't even bare to face in her direction. She lets out a sigh and rubs the top of my head, then walks out of my room. I take a shaky breath in and pull my knees to my chest and let my head rest on them. I sit there for a few moments, trying to clear my head, trying to put aside last night.

Eventually I pull myself together, at least as together as I am going to get. Yosh told me that everyone here was broke, and now I realize that I was in that category also. Hopefully my glue was a bit stronger, but right now I didn't know. I take another shaky breath as I turned the knob to my room, and started down the hall way.

Well I almost made it to the dinning room with no incidents. I did make one wrong turn and wound up in what I thought to be an open guest bedroom. Besides that though, I was able to eventually figured it out. This was the most frustrating part, yes I missed seeing people, not being able to see your surrounding was almost unbearable. Once I enter the dinning room there was a quick patter of feet, I jumped as my hand was grabbed and I was drug to a seat.

"Good morning to you Hisako." I smile, but I know that it wasn't as full as my previous ones. I thanked the gods that it wasn't Hisako that came into my room last night. I don't know if I would be able to keep living if I did anything to this girl.

"Morning Sui. Noni said that I am suppose to show you what your chore will be today after breakfast." I nod, I could hear her gathering food on a plate. She then took my hand and placed it the plate. "Do you want to try with chopsticks. It's dumplings so it may be easier for you to eat these with." I nod at her again. She places the chopsticks in my hands. "There are six." She let go of my hand and I believe she started to make a plate of her own.

It was difficult, to say the least, to eat the damn dumplings. I never thought that I could loath food in the way that I did those dumplings right now. They had become the enemy and I was not going to back the down. I don't think that I had ever cursed at food that much, well if ever. But I was going to make these gods damned son of a bitches mine, with my chopsticks. I finally was able to get the fourth bastard in my chopsticks when I noticed the once vibrant table had gone quite. I listen for a few seconds, had everyone already eaten and left? I would have heard that right? Well then again all my focus had been on these little dumpling bastards

"You winning?" I heard Koji laught breaking the silence. Slowly everyone let out a nervous laugh. I sigh and lean back in my chair.

"You try and eat with out using your damn eyes Koji, then we will see if you don't get pissed." I snap at Koji, the table once again fell silent. I sigh and run my hand over my neck. "I am sorry Koji, that was uncalled for."

"It's ok." Koji said softly. I triy to swallow, but the knotting of my stomach had made it difficult. I put down my chop sticks and resign to eat with my hands. There was no need for that type of frustration now. I found the last two dumplings and quickly ate them.

"I am ready when ever you are," I said turning in the direction of Hisako. I heard her murmur something with I think was a mouthful of food. I took a deep breath and lean back in my chair waiting for her to finish her meal. While I sat there I tried to dispel this shitty mood I was in. I did not need to take out my issues on them, it wasn't fair. They took me in, and have helped me beyond what I deserved.

"Okay. Let's get going, I am sure the chickens are hungry." Hisako says as she takes my hand and leads me through the inn. I was wrong about it being just a small bed and breakfast. The size of the place may be bigger then the Uchiha manor. I sigh, thinking about how long that it is going to take me to memorize were everything is. Hisako takes us to a back door and down a small hill, when the smell of the animals hits me.

"Ok, we are going to go into the barn, and I will show you where the chicken feed is." She lets go of my hand and I hear the squeal of a door opening. She then grabs my hand again leads me thirteen steps and then turns left for five steps and we were at the feed station. I am going to have to remember to take the same strides as we are taking now when I am counting. She guides my hand to a wall and has me touch what I think is a pale. "Ok here is the bucket, you are just going to want to fill it up with this feed." She guided my hand down to a sack, and lets my hand run through the feed. "The scoop is normally just on top, but sometimes it somehow gets buried in the feed." She guides my hand to the scoop. "There ya go." I could hear the smile in her voice. I smirk at her before setting to the chore of filling the bucket up.

Once I was done filling the acquiring all the feed, Hisako takes my hand and leads me out of the barn to were the chicken coup was. She guides my hand to where the locks and handles were. She went to move my hand to open the door, but I kept it there.

"No, I should do it. If this is going to be my chore, I won't have you around all the time right?" She let out a small laugh and removed her hand.

"Ok but when you go in, be sure to yell "BACK!" I think the closer you sound to Noni, the better they listen." I couldn't help but smile, when she barked out the command like the older woman. I nod at her smiling.

"Noted." I unlatch the lock and begin to open the door. "Back!" I yell in a gruff voice that earned a loud laugh of Hisako. My smile reached up farther. I go to close the door of the coup, but I was met with resistance.

"Coming in." Hisako said as she pulled the door from me hand. I stood waiting for her instructions. She grabs my hand and takes me into the chicken coup further.

"Most of the chickens will move out of the way, but you have to be careful of the rooster, sometimes he can get nasty." She said as she took a step back. "I think we are good today he might be sleeping." Great, how am I suppose to watch out for a rooster when I can't see if he is coming. I sigh and she takes my hand scoops some feed and has me sprinkle it on the ground. "And that is about it, just throw the feed around a bit. You don't have to worry about getting them water, I will take care of that for now." As she talked I spread more feed around. There was an excited flap of wings and cooing that came from the flock of birds that surrounded me. Occasionally one would run across my foot, trying to get the choice feed. There was something weirdly relaxing about it. I use to watch the elderly men and women in my village feed the birds outside their windows or at the park and wonder what they got out of such an action. I just figured that they were lonely and wanted to pass the time. But the reactions of the birds, even just the noise was calming.

Once we were done feeding the chickens Hisako had leads me to the other side of the barn. There she had me sit on a low stool and said that she would be back in one minute. I sit and listen to the sounds of the small farm. I hear Hisako approaching and there were several other footsteps that follow her. She reached down and placed a rope in my hands.

"Now don't let her loose, she can be difficult to catch!" She said as she tightened her hand around mine. She walked a few feet away and she rustles with something for a moment, then walks to the other side of the barn. I heard clatter or what sounded like metal hitting metal. The small noise of her pattering feet almost were covered by the noises of the animals around them. She walks up next to me and places something on the ground before taking the rope out of my hand. I felt something brush my knee as she positioned whatever it was in front of me. She then moves back to the object that she placed be in front of me. She takes my hand and guides it onto a hard surface that was covered in bristly hairs.

"We are going to milk the goats. This is Yu, she can be a bit troubles some, but if you are slow and gentle with her she will warm up quickly." She said as she guids my hands on the back of the beast in font of me. Then she has our hands move over to the sides down to the utters. The feeling of the hairless skin was a bit shocking. She guides my hands to the utters and began to lightly squeeze and pull down. The milk hit the bucket with a hiss. "And there ya go. You'll need to do that till she in empty, if you don't she can become ill and not produce anymore. Now there are four utters so be sure you get them all. We have six goats that need milking." I could hear her move to the goat that she had tied up across from me.

I smirked. Not in a thousand years did I think that I would be sitting and milking goats. Not that there is anything wrong with this type of work, but to go from being a shinobi, a tool for the village to sitting in a barn milking a grumpy goat. I let a chuckle pass my lips.

"What is funny?" Hasiko askes as she continues to milk her goat. I just shake my head, the smile not wanting to fall from my face.

"It is just odd how things turn out." I continue to milk Yu.

"What do you mean?" She questions I hear her stopping her work.

"Well this is just vastly different then I ever expected my future to be." I hear her grunt.

"You didn't want a future, Noni said that you tried to kill yourself." I still at her words. That made the smile fall from my face.

"It's ok, most of us shouldn't be alive." She whispers as she continues her chore. My brows knit together as I turn my face to her.

"What do you mean?" My voice comes out as a whisper. She just gives out a small grunt.

"Well I can tell you about me, the others can tell you in their own time." She sighes. She sounded so much older as she should, tired, haunted. "Noni found me two years ago, it was after some rouge nin had taken over our farm. They invaded our home and used it to hide in. At first they said that if we did what they wanted that they would let us live. We did everything they wanted. It was ok. I mean they would hit us sometimes, but that was it. Then I don't know what happened, but something made my father angry and they fought. He wasn't a ninja, just a farmer... They killed him, in front of us. Then they came after my mother and I. I barely got out, I got out because my mom... She saved me.. She died... They burnt down the farm..." I could hear her sniffling, I wish that I knew exactly where she was so I could place my hand on her shoulder or something. But all I could do was sit there and listen to this little girl age in front of me. "Noni found me in the woods when she was out getting spices from another village. They beat me before I ran...I though I was going to die.." Suddenly I heard her breath begin to wheeze. I felt the panic radiating off of her as she began to struggle for breath.

I stood up knocking the stool I was sitting on back. Yu jumped startled at my sudden movement. I stumble over something, making me crawl the rest of the way to the girl. I pull her down into my lap. I stroke her hair as I pull her into my chest. "You need to breath, in through your nose out through your mouth." I mummer into the top of her head. "Just breath, think about anything else, think about... Yu, that bastard goat." She lets out a strained laugh. Her breathing is still strained but slowly she is regaining composure. I know what it is like to have attacks like this, while they are not talked about often within the shinobi world, all ninjas deal with some type of panic attack at on point or another.

"I am ok now." She says as she gently pushes me away. I loosen my grip and I hear her rustling and placing the stool back into place, within a few seconds I hear the hiss of the milk filling the pale. I slowly find my way to were I was and continue with milking Yu.

We complete the milking in silence. I really don't know what to say. I have seen horrors, but most of them were warriors versus warriors. I have never seen the depravity of the stronger taking advantage of the weak. Though I can guess how lonely she must feel, loosing your parents at such a young age is never easy. I know.

Once she places the goats back into the pasture she shows me where the hay is for them, and then has me toss it into their pen. We carry the milk buckets towards the inn. I did not have a spare hand to have her guide me with, so our trek is long.

"So after we eat lunch and have a lesson, we usually play hide and seek, do you want to play?" This was the first thing that she had said to besides giving me instructions. I let out a laugh.

"I don't think that I would be any good at that game." I turn my head to her, one of my eyebrows raised.

"Well no not by yourself, but I can be your partner, or one of the other kids." I feel her brush her shoulder into mine. The milk in the buckets sloshes and spills. "Oppps.." She giggles.

"Ok, I'll play." I hear her give out a small giggle an could feel the smile that was coming from her.

The next few weeks I found myself settling into a predictable routine. We would wake, eat breakfast, do morning chores, lunch, I would rest while the other children would have some type of lesson with Noni, then there was some type of game, dinner, then some light nightly chores. It didn't take me long to memorize the lay out of the inn. Though Koji and would occasionally move something and laugh when I bumped it. Goro was just an older version of Koji, and when they were together they would always try my patience. Yumma would often scold them and drag them away by their ears. She reminded me much of Noni, thought during the times that we would play games she would let her true age shine through, which was only a year older then Hisako. The play time was something odd. Noni absolutely insisted that all of the "brats" get outside and play. Even if we were not able to finish our chores she would take them over and shoo us outside. Which seemed odd considering how she came off. I took advantage of the games and started to learn the lay of the land. Which turned out to be a small island about a half a mile off the coast.

I did miss my home greatly, and would often think of the Leaf and my clan. But, I had to admit that this place was beginning to feel more and more my home. There was a level of acceptance that I had never felt amongst my clan, a family that loved each other no matter how powerful you were, or the weaknesses you had. I honestly could not have asked for anything more then to be here.

 **So a bit of a lag is going to happen with my chapters for this and Alliance. I am stuck roofing for the past few weeks after a nasty hail storm, which is always a good time... Not really, but that is what I am telling myself.**

 **So as I said, this is going to be a slow burn, we will eventually get back to the main characters. Though it won't be for a few chapters. This will go from the Uchiha genocide to the end of the manga. There will be spoilers. Anyways I am off to crack open a beer and read or something lol. Hope you all have a great weekend!**


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few weeks, my routine and chores remained the same. While, I can't really complain, I was getting bored. The most exciting part of my day was when I had to try and figure out if that damn rooster was going to attack me. Which it did almost every other time, and he was quite in his approach. "Ninja chicken," I would curse as he attempted to peck at me, or gash at me with it's talons. I am almost positive that the other kids, and possibly Yosh, would sneak out and watch me feed the chickens. I am sure that I provided some great entertainment. A blind boy versus a rooster, hell I wouldn't doubt that they would make bets about who would come out on top. I would never admit it to anyone, but me and that fucking poultry were pretty much even with victories.

"Yosh, Come on. I mean there has to be something else that you can have me do." I sighed out as I let my hand run over my scalp. My hair had started to come back in, and I wondered what unruly state it was in. Mikoto would often chide me for my hair, saying that it was unbecoming to have such a wild mop on my head. Well that was when I actually could see it, and somewhat try and tame the waves. Now, I am sure it wasn't pretty at all.

"Well what else do you think you could do?" The man's voice came towards me and dropped something on the counter I was leaning on. I turned my head over in his direction, and heard the sound of a knife chopping up something. The strong aroma of onions filled the air and began to make my nose burn.

"I don't care, but I need a different challenge besides feeding, and milking. I need to do other things if I am ever to survive by myself." I pursed my lips. I knew that if I was not with Noni, Yosh and the kids, I may not have been alive. While I was required to help and had chores, they were not ones that I could really apply if I needed to take care of myself. I had been adjusting to being blind, but I knew there was still a lot that I had yet to figure out. I hear Yosh stop chopping, his clothes rustle as I feel him lean next to me. A low hum leaved his chest as he contemplates what I said. I have come to find that whenever Yosh is in deep thought there was always some type of hum that comes out of him. Just on time I hear his hands brush on the stubble of his cheek. Hum, then chin petting, that was Yosh thinking.

"Do you want to work in the kitchen? I have had Hisako taking over some of the prepping, but I know her heart is with the animals." I could hear his voice becoming louder as he turned his head to me. I furrowed my brows and thought about the offer. Well, trying to dice vegetables and not cut my fingers off would be a challenge. Also food prep was a skill that I knew that I was going to have to figure out sooner or later. I nod my head at him.

"Yeah, that would work." I smile in his direction.

"I don't need you here today, Hasiko already did enough, so you can go do what you want. I will have you in here after breakfast and then after dinner tomorrow." Yosh said as he shifted his weight off the counter and began to chop some more vegetables. "Do you know the restaurant lay out well enough to seat people? That's also what I was having Hisako do." I thought for a second and nodded again. "Ok get going, you know how Noni gets when you lot are inside." I give the man a smirk and start to walk outside.

"Oh, Sui." I turn and face were he is. "I will really miss watching you play ninja with that rooster." He chuckled as he started to chop again

I fucking knew it.

I huffed as I went outside, I slowed my pace and tried to locate one of the kids to see what the game was today. Hide and seek was a favorite amongst them, but lately they have been playing some war games. I would prefer hide and seek. It helps me with trying to figure out were people were based on chakra signatures.

When we first started to play, I figured there was no way I would be able to figure out where anyone was. That I would be forced to be partnered up with some one. Slowly I started to be able to feel their chakra signatures and the directions that they were in. When I was a shinobi I never received any training for being a sensory type, as there was no need with my eyes. Now I wish that I had given it a shot. I am able to somewhat locate where people that I am familiar with but I have a difficult time still with new chakras. I suppose it is something that I need to work on.

Yuma is the one closest and I begin to walk in her direction. Rarely do I find my mind wandering when I walk, which is the opposite of what I use to be like. Often, I would use a walk to clear my head, to think over my life. Now I have to concentrate on each step, counting and figuring out where I am in terms of the inn. Which is fine, since reflecting on my past is something that I am attempting to keep myself from doing.

"Sui, over here!" Yuma yelled. Her voice is a bit deeper then Hisako's. Even thought they are only a year apart, she always sounds much older. I can see her growing up and having a voice much like Noni's.

"What's the game Yuma?" I ask when I think that I am close enough for her.

"Freeze tag." She says hesitantly. "We didn't know if you were coming out or not," I can hear the apology in her voice.

"It's ok, I'll just sit this one out." I sighed and then left Yuma in her hiding spot. It was a while before dinner, so I decided to take a walk around the island. It was a relief that I was able to know much of the land. I had gotten lost quite a few times when I first started to wander about, but now I knew the majority of the lay of the land. I walked for a few hours, then returned back to the inn.

The rest of the night went much like all the other nights. I found my bed and pushed myself to sleep, eager for the challenge that the next day would bring. Even if it was only cutting vegetables.

After breakfast was served and devoured I followed Yosh into the kitchen. He explained that there were a few guests that had booked reservations and informed me how much he needed in terms of prep for their meals. He took my hand an showed me around the station, and the fridge. I quickly was picking up were he kept everything and tried my hardest to memorize everything. Moments like these make me really wish that I still had my sharingan. Which really is silly, that I craved to use it just once so I could memorize a kitchen. I shook my head, no matter how much I wished I would never get my eyes back.

Chopping vegetable was, difficult. Though I have to say that it was nice to have something sharp in my hands. I really yearned to be able to throw it at a target. I missed the satisfying thunk of a kunia becoming lodged in wood. I let out a longing sigh, I would just have to settle for the chop of knife against the cutting board. Yosh had to come over a few times and explain how to cut in the pattern that he wanted, but I think that I caught on fairly well. By the time that I was through with all the vegetables it was well before lunch.

Yosh came over and inspected my work, he seemed to be satisfied, even though he gave me a few hints. He then walked to the front of the kitchen were it attached to the small restaurant and he said something that I could not make out.

"Sui, we have a few guests here, can you get them settled?" Yosh called back to me.

"Yeah, no problem Yosh." I began to walk to the dinning room. I am brought to a stop as large hand covers my shoulder.

"Sit them up near or at the bar, it'll be easier for you." I turn my head in his direction and nod.

"If they want drinks, I am going to need help."

"Just call me, just start them with water." He lets go of my shoulder and I walk out to welcome the guests. I walk to the front of the dinning room and clear my throat to gain their attention.

"How many?" I ask out into the air, having a hard time feeling for their chakra. It almost seemed like they were masking it, which lead me to believe that they were traveling shinobi.

"Two," A low voice came out to my left. I turn my head in his direction and nod.

"Bar or table?"

"The bar will be fine." A different male voice came out. I nod in the owners direction.

"Alright, follow me please." I say as I turn and show them to the bar. I listen for the sound of the stools moving, to figure out where to place the menus down.

"What can I get you to drink?" I say as I hand them their meal options.

"Sake, just give us a bottle and cups." I nod at the order. I kinda remember were Yosh placed the sake, since Noni would often have one of us fetch it for her during dinner. I reach behind me and feel the bottles until one feels familiar. I grab it and got into the kitchen to confirm that I got the right bottle. I tell Yosh what I was looking for and he is silent for a minute.

"Oh, sorry I nodded." He gave out a small chuckle. If I could I would have rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah, you got the right one." He laughed again and continued with what he was doing. I make my way back to the bar and set the bottle in fort of the two shinobi and go to collect the glasses for them.

Waiting on the two guests went pretty smoothly. There was even one local that came in that I served. Once the two shinobi finished their meal they bought another bottle of sake I placed it in front of them and went to wipe down the counter.

"Hey, did you hear what happened in the Leaf?" One of the man's voice asked the others in a hushed tone. I felt my muscles tense at the name of my village. I didn't let it show as I continues to wash the counter in front of me.

"What are you talking about?" The other man sounded bored.

"That Uchiha clan," Now my heart fell down to my stomach. My mind filling with scenario's of the coupe. Bloody bodies filled my mind. "you know the sharingan users? Well they are gone." My head snapped over to them, not caring if they saw me eaves dropping on them or not.

"What do you mean gone? How is that possible." I could hear the mans clothes rustle a he shifted in his seat.

"Well they aren't all technically gone, there are two." The man grunted out. I could feel my breath starting to become more ragged.

"Stop talking in circles and just say it straight for once fucking time." The others voiced raised.

"Well your going to want to watch for Uchiha Itachi in your Bingo book. He is the one that did it, murdered his entire clan, and left his little brother to find the bodies." Wait! What! Oh gods, no..

"Sick fucker, how did he get away with it?"

"Don't know, but you know he is going to be worth some cash when some one kills him." The man laughs. He fucking laughs. He is laughing at the death of my clan.. I have to get out of here. I rush my way into the kitchen, falling as I pass the door. My heart is pounding against my ribs, and I starting to not be able to breath. Every breath there is less air making it's way into my lungs. I can feel I am dying. I feel something touch my back, I immediately grab the hand and flip it's owner to the ground.

"What the hell Sui!" I hear yell in front of me. Yosh, I just flipped Yosh to the ground. I try to say an apology, but I can't get any air to talk. My body begins to shake from lack of oxygen and my head starts to spin. I need to get out of here. I scramble to my feet and run out the back door, Yosh yelling from behind. I run into the woods, far away from the inn, and the laughing shinobi.

I don't know how long I run before I collapse onto the forest floor. My breath still hasn't even out and every time I think about what those men had said it makes it even more difficult to breath. Oh gods Itachi why? How couldn't he had figured something else out. They are all gone, all my family, my friends. Gone..

I lay on my side and pull my knees to my chest. Slowly my breaths even out. I let my mind go blank, not wanting to think about it. I knew I had failed, but I didn't think that my failure would end up like this! I could feel the wrapping around my eyes become drenched from the moisture that was seeping from my tear ducts. We fucked up, we fucked up more then I could have ever anticipated.

I let myself curl into nothingness for a long while. I don't know how long, but I knew that nightfall was coming as the air began to chill and the noises of the nocturnal insect began to play. I pull myself into a sitting position and let out a sigh. Itachi. The name repeats it's self over and over in my head. How? How could he think that it was a good idea, to kill everyone. He killed children. Oh, gods he killed children.

There has to be something else behind this. There had to be another factor pushing him. Danzo. The name slams into my head. He was the one pushing for something to be done. His way was the only way in his mind, and his way was the most destructive. He is one to fight fire with fire, and not see to instead quench it with water. It has to be him, I can feel my blood boil as I think about the man. If he would have fucking stayed out of the way, then the murder of our family would not be on Itachi.

If they would have just fucking talked. All the spying did nothing but make tensions rise. Damn it why was everyone so stubborn, not wanting to even look at all the angles. There had to have been a different way, but Danzo was as blind as the Uchihas.

I grit my teeth as I stand. What can I do now. There is really nothing left. If there was even a sliver of hope that I could go home that was taken away. Home, I no longer have a home. There is no one left. I can feel the tears begin to flow again.

"...And left his little brother..."

No there still is some one, Sasuke. Itachi would never be able to harm him. My chest constricts as I think of my little cousin. He is alone. Itachi may have not had it in him to kill him him but, did he leave him to a fate that was worse. He has lost more then what some people can handle. I have to go to him. I think as I begin to walk. Slowly my steps stop. No, I have nothing to give to him. I clench my jaw and roughly run my hands through my hair. How can I not find him. We are all we have left. I can't go to the Leaf thought, I know for sure that I will be killed now. Danzo would send ANBU the moment I came close to keep his skeletons hidden. Fuck. Just fuck!

I let out a guttural scream. There were no good answers, nothing that I could do to help in this situation. I was a blind boy, that couldn't do anything for myself. What could I do for a seven year old? Nothing that is what. I fall to my knees once more. Now I truly wish for the death that I had been aiming for. This pain, I don't know if I can handle it. I would welcome death with open arms at this point.

I hear the cracking of twigs, some one is coming towards me. I don't even bother hiding my chakra, or trying to figure out who it is. If they mean me harm then so be it.

"Shisui?" Noni's voice comes from behind me. I don't even attempt to face her. I hear her steps coming closer. I wish that she would leave and stay at the same time. "Kid, are you ok?" Her steps stop and she is close, but not too close. I don't answer her and just stay in my defeated position. "It's late, we should get you back to the inn." Her voice is so soft and smooth that it doesn't sound anything like her anymore. She hesitantly takes another few steps forward and slowly places her hand on my shoulder. I slump as she makes contact with me.

"Shisui, what happened?" She slowly rubbed her hand on my shoulder. I just let out a long sigh.

"Just a panic episode." My voice is low and rough. I take a deep breath in and stand up.

"Just... You really freaked out Yosh. He thought that there may have been some one after you." She takes a step back giving me space.

"No. If that were to ever happen I would notify you. It was just something that was said in the restaurant, it caused a trigger I guess." I keep my face pointing to the ground, not wanting her to read the emotion that I was sure was all over my face. I always had a hard time with concealing emotion, which is almost laughable for an Uchiha.

"Are you ok?" She put her hand back onto my shoulder.

"Yeah," I lie. I don't want to burden her with the fact that I felt like a shell of a person right. I know that she saw through my lie, she sighs as she guides me back to the inn. I don't even bother eating dinner or even talk to any of the others. I just close myself in my room and wallow in sorrow.

The next few days I just move mechanically, not thinking of anything or talking. I complete my chores and lock myself in my room. I know that Noni is concerned, but she doesn't push it. Though Yosh did bring up my promise not to kill myself. I just mumble to him that I didn't forget.

It had been a week, and I was still withdrawn. I honestly didn't know how to act, and my thoughts were always going back to Itachi and Sasuke. I question everything I did. I know I can't change anything, but it doesn't stop my obsession with the past.

I sit at the table eating lunch slowly. The children have already eaten and are now outside playing. I let a sigh out as I eat alone. I finish my meal and clear my dish to the kitchen.

"You should try and get out. Play a game with the kids." Yosh walks up next to me. I purse my lips and nod. I really didn't feel like playing any games, but I knew he would get on my case if I went back to my room. I walk outside and just begin to wander the island, not searching for the kids just walking.

I walk into the thickest forested area when I heard people talking. There should be no one out here, so I quickly mask my chakra and try my best to silently approach the voices.

"Well the tax has gone up twenty percent. Can you pay that now?" A man's voice fills the air. The tone has amusement laced into it that makes my stomach clench.

"You did not notify me of any type of increase last time you were here." Noni's voice was rough and stern. What is she doing meeting some one out here? I creep forward a little bit more.

"I am sure that we can arrange a compromise." Another mans says, I can hear the same amused tone as the first man. Noni grunts at them, then I hear some shuffling.

"What do you have in mind?" Her voice was hesitant.

"One of the two girls, then we will call this year square." The first mans voice grew lower. Hisako and Yuma? Are they trying to barter with children. My jaw clenches as my hands automatically forming fists.

"I am not in the human trade game. I will not give you any of the children." Noni growled at the man.

"That's unfortunate." One of the men say. I hear more movement. "I suppose that I can offer you an extension, but you know that it will come with an additional price." The voice grows huskier as he speaks.

"Fuck you Ikuo. If your boss was going to raise the rates then the asshole could have sent a damn notice! You wont be getting anymore from me this period." She snarled as the man. There was more shuffling, and then I hear some type of gasping and gurgling.

"No Noni, fuck you! You don't call the shots here, we are not the strays that you pick up." I heard something thunk to the ground followed by coughing. That's when I can no longer keep myself back. I walk into the area were the voice are and begin to try to sense how many people there are around. I think that I count four including Noni, but I am not sure.

"Noni?" I ask in a strong voice, keeping my chin up.

"What are you doing here kid? Go back home." She coughed at me.

"No, I do not think I am going to be able to do that Noni." I direct my body to the sound of her voice. "And I am going to have to ask that you do not touch her." I raise an eyebrow.

"Wait? This blind brat is coming to save you?" A man laughs, I just scowl. "You should really listen to Noni." I just take a step closer to the group.

"I can't sit by and let you hurt her." I growl out. I let my chakra flare trying to threaten them. They just laugh, and now I don't know if it was the wisest idea to try and take them on. I am having a hard time pin pointing were anyone it. I can hear footsteps coming towards me and I take a defensive stance.

"You have what you came for, now go. If your boss wants more then he has to give proper notification." Noni's voice was getting closer, she was the one that was walking towards me. Then I hear some loud shuffling. I step forward to get closer to Noni, but it seems like she was pulled back.

"I already told you bitch, you don't call the shots! If you want an extension you are going to have to earn it." I start to go to Noni, when suddenly a fist slams into my face making me stumble back. "And you boy, stay out of it! Unless you do not value hers or your life." My jaw throbs, but I pull myself up and take a defensive stand. I feel something slam into my stomach, I reach out to grab, but I don't know what angle that I was hit from. I stumble back to only get another fist to my jaw again, causing me to fall to the ground. Then a succession of kicks hit my stomach and face. I groan as a foot applies pressure to my neck.

"Stay still and listen to the show. If you move I will kill you and Noni will also get punished." The shoe pushes down on my throat a bit more. My hand grabs onto the the ankle, but I don't have enough leverage, or a weapon at my disposal. The foot presses down even more, and I can feel my consciousness slipping from the restriction of blood to my brain. My rage bubbles, I want nothing more then to kill the men in front of me. I try to move, but I can't. I snarl at myself. I am fucking useless again.

Noni begins to scream and yell, she is cursing the men around her. I hear a crack of flesh versus flesh. I struggle against the foot again, hearing the fight going on. I want to scream out for her, I want to stop whatever is happening. Her screams begin to fill the air, and I know that she is being raped, only a few feet away. I try and push up but I can't get any momentum. Then she grows quite. I would rather hear her screaming then the quite that fills the space. I begin to panic. I hear the slapping of flesh and grunting, but Noni is no longer making any noise. My stomach knots, they didn't kill her did they?

I don't know how long the violation lasts, I keep on going in an out of consciousness. The heel of the shoe slowly begins to retract from my neck, I sputter as I gasp for breath. I feel long fingers grasp onto my hand that was out stretched in front of me.

"Noni," I croak out. She grunts at me. There is laughter that comes from behind her. I hear the man who was standing on my move over behind her. I grasp onto her hand and pull her to me. Once I can feel that her whole body is by me, I succumb to my rage. These men will die today. I pull myself to my feet, my nose flaring as I face the direction that the men's voices are drifting from. I finally know their where about, and that Noni is no where near them. "Hey assholes!" I yell. Their movement stops all together "Fire style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" I could feel the heat escaping my lips as I burn everything that is in front of me. The screams of the men filled the forest. I pulled Noni up ignoring the pain of my body. I sickly think that I wish I could see their flesh bubble and burn as they die. I shake the thought as I pull her closer to me, letting her lean on me as we begin to walk back to the inn.

"You shouldn't have done that." Noni whispers to me. "It will make matters worse. I knew what I was doing kid." She coughs as she holds onto me.

"No I did. I am sorry that I couldn't stop them." We walk in silence fore a few moments. "Noni, I give you my word that nothing will happen to you, or our family again." She doesn't say anything and we walk the rest of the way in silence.

No I will protect them. I will not let them down or fail them like I had my clan... Now I just have to figure out how to be a blind shinobi.

 **Thanks again for all the follows, faves and reviews! You guys are awesome. Over the next few chapters we will have some time jumps. I think we are going to get to the manga characters in like three or four chapters. I have the story outlines, but I have never been one to follow the rules, even self imposed ones.**

 **Roof is done, but I have some other home improvement projects I am working on, so I will try to get this out as fast as I can. I do wonder if people prefer week day posting or the weekend? Let me know!**


	5. Chapter 5

We stumble into the inn through the back door of the kitchen. The moment we where in the entrance, both Noni and I slid down to the ground. The smell of Yosh's cooking instantly helped calm me. We were home, alive and safe. We sat there for a few moments in silence before I heard the opening of the side door.

"Noni... Sui... What the hell happened?" I can hear Yosh's feet slam to the ground as he rushes over. "Noni, your bleeding! We need to take care of that now." I hear movements next to me, it sounds like clothes being moved aroung. Noni hisses in response to something. I let my brow furrow and my lips turn down. "What in the names of the gods happened?" Yosh bit off as he attended Noni.

"It was nothing, just tax collection." She said dryly. I turned my head in her direction. I really, really, really wish I could glare at the woman.

"Nothing? Don't lie Noni," I spat at her.

"I told you already kid, it is none of your concern." She sighed, then I hear another hiss. Yosh must be disinfecting whatever wounds that she had.

"I think it is my concern when you get the shit beat out of you, and when they had an interest in the girls." I growled at the stubborn woman. Why did she feel that she hand to handle everything by herself?

"Interest in the girls? Hisako and Yumma? What did they want with them?" The air around us got very still after Yosh asked that question. I shifted uncomfortably against the wall. Did he really have no clue to the type of people that Noni was dealing with? I waited for Noni to reply, but found that nothing was going to come out of her.

"They wanted her to give them one of the girls, for whatever transaction that was taking place." I said evenly. At that moment I was more then happy to be blind, because I didn't want to see the glare that I knew Noni was giving to me. I just clenched my jaw and ran my hands through my hair.

"Who are you dealing with Noni?" Yosh's voice came out low and lethal. The air was becoming so thick with tension that it felt almost difficult to breath. Though, I may have been having a difficult time breathing due to having some one stand on my neck for twenty minutes. It was probably both.

"I am taking care of it Yosh." Noni's voice was steely as she spoke.

"It doesn't look like that to me. Who are you dealing with sister?" He spoke as if he was clenching his teeth the whole time. There was another pregnant pause.

"Yasha." I almost missed the name, she said it so quietly. I jumped as I heard something slam against the metal prepping tables, I assume it was Yosh's hand.

"Why are you dealing with Yasha, Noni?" Yosh growled out. There is a small shuffling as Noni began to fidget. I hear her take a uneven breath.

"It was an old debt held by out parents. I have been paying it off, but he keeps bringing the interest up, and demand other... things." Another sigh leaves her lips. "I didn't want to bring you into it. You already do so much."

"Noni, what were you thinking?" I could hear his run his hands over the stubble of his chin. "You don't have to shoulder everything, you stubborn girl!" I wince as Yosh's voice began to rise. I had never heard the man yell once, and now his voice rumbled through the room and my body.

"What was I thinking? I was thinking that it would be better to have an inn then be beaten and have it burnt down! Oh come on Yosh, you think you would be able to handle it? You would have let them burn it, burn our parents inn! Our home, the kids home! Don't even say you wouldn't, you are a stubborn man, who has morals that are too clean for this world!" Her gruff voice screeched as she slammed her hand down on the table, her breathing became heavy.

"Well, you wouldn't know Noni, because you never told me about it! You should have! As you said this is OUR home, not just yours! What give you the right to make deals and not tell me about them?" Yosh yelled, pacing foot steps cross back and forth in front of me.

"Screw this, nothing is going to come out of us yelling at each other. I am taking care of this, and I need you two to stay out of it. I can handle myself and make decisions to keep this place. So both of you, please stay out of my way!" She yelled as she stomped away, leaving both Yosh and I sitting in silence in the kitchen.

"Yosh, I am not going to stay out of her way." I said as I began to stand up. My whole body ached and screamed at me to remain seated.

"No offense kid, but I don't think that's a great idea. I mean, one: Yasha lives up to his name. From everyone says he truly is a demon that walks this earth. Two: Have you forgotten that you are blind? It is admirable, but foolish in self preservation sense." Yosh spoke slowly, he sounded exhausted. I took a breath in before I directed my head in his direction.

"You forget that I am a shinobi..." I began sternly only to be cut off.

"You WERE a shinobi."

"I am still." My voice was stern and steady. I may have told him that I was no longer a shinobi when I met him, but I have realized that I can't walk away that easy. No, I am a warrior. I can never turn away from the need to protect the precious people in my life. I could not just sit back and not try. "I will figure out a way." Yosh just sighed as he shifted to lean against the counter.

"Fine... Dinner is on the table, hopefully the kids left some for you two. We will figure this out at a later point. Go eat, then sleep." He wearily said as he began to walk off. I just stand there for a moment, not wanting to move my muscles any more then I needed to. How the hell was I going to figure out how to fight blind? I let out a sigh and then followed Yosh's instruction.

The next day I woke and completed my normal chores that I had been assigned. It took a bit longer since I was sore after what had happened the previous day, but I got it done. It was satisfying to work through the pain, knowing that I would be able to train after I was done. After all of us sat for lunch Noni pushed us outside as she did every day. I left the inn and began to walk into the woods that surround it.

This was no longer any play time for me. I would not be playing games with the kids any longer. No, I was going to use this time to train. I made my way to a small opening within the trees and began to stretch my my muscles out before I started doing Kata's. It felt odd, I had the muscle memory of each stance, but my muscles were no longer use to the drills. I could feel them protesting the use. After all, for the most part while I was at the inn I had not focused on any type of training and it was extremely apparent. I sighed, how did I not notice how incredibly out of shape I was?. I should not have let it get so bad, but then again, if you would have asked me if I was going to attempt to fight without sight a month ago I would have laughed. I would have told you it was impossible, hell it may still be But until I try I will not rest.

Once I finished up with the kata I sat in the clearing letting my body rest. I have to figure out a way in which to "see" my surrounding. How the fuck could I do that? I grimace and run my hands roughly through my hair. Was I just being incredibly stupid about this whole situation? I mean if some one could have figured out a way to get around loss of vision, it would be known. Wouldn't it?

I threw my back to the ground and let out a sigh. That's when I heard the chirps, squeaks, and flaps above me. Bats, I thought... Wait, wait, wait! Hold up one second! That's it! Bats! Those flying rodent! I know that they have poor eyesight, yet they are able to zoom around like Sasuke after I loaded him up with dango! I sat up as my mind began to race.

Not only bats, but there are a decedent amount of animals that are born with limited sight, or hell, all together blind. Now how the hell did they manage to get around? I racked my brain. I mean it's not every day that a shinobi would even need that knowledge. Ask me about ancient battle formations, or the history of my village, and I could answer that without thinking. Zoology, that was not on the forefront of my education. I can't even think of a time when something like that would come up. Well besides the current situation at hand. I groan out loudly, I really should have paid more attention to the natural worlds class before the academy. The screeching and chirping was becoming annoyingly louder as the minutes ticked away.

Yes! That's right they used echo location. That's why those rats with wings were so loud! Thought I don't know if that helps me... I mean even if I were to be able to "see" with sound waves, it would kinds be counter productive. I mean I am a ninja, and they are known for stealth, not screaming in order to find their way around. But then again, echolocation was just about vibrations right? I mean sonic vibrations were out of the equation, but vibrations, well that may just work.

I let my hand fall to the ground and I attempted to quite my mind. I will myself to really feel what is going on around me... I sit there for probably close to an hour trying to feel the vibrations of the ground... Aaaandd I have nothing. It was just becoming more frustrating the longer I sat there.

I don't think that the meditation style training was going to work here. I have never been one that enjoys sitting still, and I learn better by applying then just thinking. I needed some one to train with, but who? Noni would be pissed and there is no way that she would help me. Yosh, well no. He is constantly in the kitchen or doing small repairs on the inn. Well that left the kids, which if Noni found out that I was training with them... Well I don't even want to think about her reaction. No, I couldn't train with them... But I could play games with them... Ninja games.

The next day our morning chores were complete and we had finished lunch, when Noni threw us outside. It took a moment to catch up with them, I had been skipping out on the usual games so they assumed that I wouldn't be down to play.

"Hey you guys want to try a new game?" I smirk at the group. Following their chakra was now super simple, thought I was going to have to work on picking up strangers. Perhaps some trips to the near by villages were needed. That could wait though.

I tried to focus on the miniscule vibrations that were coming from their foot steps. I may have felt something but more then likely it was just in my mind playing tricks.

"A new game? Yeah I am up for something different." Hisako chirped as she ran up next to me.

"Depends on what you want to play." Goro drawled, trying to sound cooler then the kid actually was.

"Ninja." I say smiling wide at them.

"Ninja... Sui... ummm... You are kinda...hmmm.. blind, ya know." Koji said.

"I am well aware of that, but thanks for the reminder Koji." My smile falters a little, but then I let it rise again. "What I was thinking, is you guys play ninja. Try to sneak up on me catch me off guard. I think it will be fun."

"So we get to hit you, because if we do I am down." Ok I was not expecting that to come from Yumma. Perhaps I should be a bit concerned.

"Yeah, well that is kinda the point. Catch me off guard and attack. Though Yumma, really you are the quite the delicate flower, so I don't know if this is in your league." I probably should not be goading the girl who just asked, with excitement mind you, if she could hit me. I just can't help myself, perhaps I am a bit of a masochist. Oh well.

"Ohh I am in if that means I can hit you!" Koji sounded as excited about that as Yumma. Seriously what did I do to these kids? "Because you know Noni said we are not suppose to hit you since you are blind." I cringe at that.

"Oh so who is the delicate flower now my dear Sui?" I scoff at the girl.

"Ok if you want to play here are the rules, give me a five minute head start then come after me. Wait near the inn so you don't know what way I went. It would probably be better to split up." Of course if this was real training there is no way I would have told a team to split, but I want them coming at me from all directions. "Sound good?" I hear the sound of cracking knuckles... Great, at least they have ambition.

"Sounds good." Koji called out. I listened for them to walk away, then I made my way to the wooded area. I stood in an open field and waited for them to come. I tried to sense the vibrations, but my thick soled shoes made it nearly impossible. I slid the them off, and forced myself to focus on the feelings coming from my bare feet.

They were much faster then I anticipated, and actually could subconsciously hide their chakra. Not well, but enough that it gave me pause when they were approaching. So they did succeed in beating the shit out of me. After I was done with getting pummeled, Goro said he wouldn't mind playing this more often, as it was a good stress release. I am sure it was, as I was basically their punching bag.

They played this game everyday with me, and soon I was becoming in tune with the vibrations that came from the earth. I also found that I could no longer wear shoes. They interfered too much in the vibrations. So now, around here, I was known as the blind barefoot guy. I could deal with that. I also figured out, that if I focused my chakra to my feet that I could actually pin point the locations of people when they were moving. Which meant that I also could do long range jutsu's.. That's another thing I was going to have to start working on, my ninjutsu, especially earth.

Another learning point was that when I was focusing on their chakra it would feel different at different points. For example Hisako's chakra always felt breezy-hmm I wonder if she had a wind affinity?-it was warm and comforting. Thought when she was in stalking mode, it would become more stormy, dark.

So that was an improvement, but I still needed to be able to figure out attacks. I could dodge some what now, but I needed to know when a fist was coming at me.

That took me a few months to figure out. I found that if I let my chakra run through the ground into somebody, that it would mirror to me. The downfall was I was not exactly the best with chakra control. I mean I was good as any other, but I wasted too much and I would find myself exhausted far too early. That was not acceptable.

It took me six, almost seven months to be able to defend myself properly from the attacks that the kids gave. It was not only I who was improving, but those brats also were pretty stealthy, and their attacks were growing much stronger. They were no were close to being a shinobi, but the progress made me pleased. It would mean that they could also protect themselves.

A year and a half went by and everyday we would play this game, thought sometimes the kids would hide and I would have to look for them. That was always beyond easy. I have a feeling that I would be able to track them from miles away.

During this time I was also visiting the nearby villages and practiced feeling people's chakra. This came the slowest to me, but I think that it was due to the fact that I would just be sitting there and my mind would wander... I really am not a fan of sitting still. Though I was much more aware of guests when they would come into the inn. I could also now easily distinguish between a shinobi and a civilian. I am not going to say that I was a pro sensory type, but I was getting by.

"Hey Sui?" Hisako breathed after I found and caught her in our little game of hide and go seek.

"Hmmm?"

"Can you train us?" Her words came out as a whisper. I stilled and turned my body towards her.

"What do you mean train?" The words slid out slowly as I arched my brow.

"I mean train, like show us how to properly fight. Like a ninja." I could the vibrations come from the her feet fidgeting.

"I don't know, you know Noni is completely against children learning to be shinobi or ninjas." I puffed out my cheeks. I mean over the past year I have taught them a few things, but nothing in the terms that I would call training. I can understand where Noni was coming from. I started training to be a shinobi at three and a half, I never knew a childhood. Hell I made my first kill at six.

"We want to be able to protect ourselves Sui, we won't always have Noni and Yosh... Or what if something happens to them and we can't help." Her small voice became louder as the words came out. I shuffled my feet and began to chew my inner lip. The kid also had valid points. I have to remind myself that their child hood is not like mine, just because they have the tools and the knowledge to fight, doesn't mean that they have to. Then again how easy was it going to be to train them when I cannot see their forms... Where else are they to go?

"If you don't tell Noni, and take care of my wood splitting chores for a week." I could hear some type of squeal, then I felt her arms wrap around my waist.

"Thank you!" She said into my chest.

"Don't thank me yet.. You haven't even experienced what training will be back," I chuckle as her hair begins to fly in my face.

I suppose that training the kids was a win win. I mean they got to know how they could fully protect themselves, and I got better sparring partners. I was surprised at how quickly they picked up what I taught them, and it was also a pleasant surprise when they didn't bitch about the types of training that I made them endure.

They all had their different strengths and weaknesses. I wish that I was more prepared to teach to each of their strong suits.. I did my best. Yumma actually had amazing Chakra control, Hisako was quick (don't get me wrong, she was not as fast as I am, but fast enough that anyone else may have had a hard time keeping up) Goro seemed to be a sensory type (he wasn't as strong as I was yet, but I could see him surpassing me quickly)and that leaves me to Koji, who mastered my fire techniques in only a few tries. Koji and fire... Maybe I should be concerned?

It took nearly two years before Yasha had sent more men to the inns island. I honestly has expected for the thugs to have come much sooner. I had naively thought that they may have decided to give up. I should have known better.

They came in the middle of the day, during a training game. The kids where hiding when the silence of the wooded areas was broken by a child's scream. I had ran to were I could feel Yumma's distressed chakra, only to feel four new chakras signatures around the girl. I could also feel the other kids rushing in towards Yumma's screaming. I felt that Hisako got there first, with Koji following quickly. Once I felt the flares and surges, I tried something that I had not done before I lost my eyes. I body flickered to towards the chakras. I had managed to appear just as Koji was began the seals for a fire ball. Three of the new chakras began to fizzle out, as the flames ravaged their bodies. I searched for the last one, to find that he was about a half a mile away. Then Goro's chakra clashed with the strangers. I yelled to the other kids over my shoulder asking if everyone was ok. They answered back in grunts as they said they were fine.

I flickered over to were Goro's chakra was. He was currently in the middle of a hand to hand battle with the other man. I quickly involved myself and the man was quickly subdued. Goro quickly bound the man against a tree, just as he finished the kids had arrived.

"I need you all to go back to the inn." I said in a stern voice.

"What? Why?" Koji's voice cracked as he asked.

"Because I need to ask him some questions." I said flatly.

"We can help." Goro growled.

"No! You will go back to the inn... And you will not tell Noni of this. Do you all understand?" My voice came out deep and threatening. This was not a side I had ever shown to them, and I could feel the fear in their chakra. It made me inwardly wince. During my time here, I have acted like their sibling when we were not training, but I had never been rough or controlling with them. We fought, but usually the mood was light and we joked freely.

"I said do you understand?" Small murmured of acknowledgment past their lips. "I will meet you back at the inn. Go now." I ordered them. I stood still until I felt them leave, then traced their vibrations and chakra until they reached the inn. That was when I turned back to the man who was sitting tied to a tree.

"Who sent you?" I was greeted by a snort then a low chuckle.

"Are you serious boy?" He laughed out, I just scowled at him. "You are blind? What the fuck could you do to me. The moment I get free I will rip you apart." I clenched my jaw and reached into the side pocket of my pants, pulling out a kunia. I could hear the man moving and could feel that he was trying to adjust his hands to get out of the ropes. I turned so I was not facing him and flicked the blade towards him. I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Oh I am sorry did I cut your ear?" The man stilled. "I would not under estimate me, nor those... children.. that took down three quarters of your team. Now I will ask you this again: who sent you?" I knew the answer but I wanted conformation.

"Fuck you." I sighed and pulled out another kunia and this time made it go through his shoulder. A strained cry left his mouth. I walked close to the man and crouched down in front of him. I leaned so my cheek was mere inched away from his. I could smell the change in chemicals coming out of his sweat, he was panicking and reeked of fear.

"Well now your right arm is no longer going to work well. Do you wish to keep your other one? Is your boss really worth it?" The only noise was of his labored panting. "This will go one of two ways, you tell me, and I let you go. You never come back to this island again. Find a new boss and live your life...Or I will bleed you until you die. What option will you choose?" I leaned back on my haunches as stilled myself in front of him. I was no fan of torture, no one sane was, but I was willing to do what I had to. While I was in Konoha, I was taught by the best. Ibiki had me under his wings for nearly a year, and I knew how to break most, even without my sharingan.

"Yasha." The man whispered. My jaw tensed. My suspicions were right.

"What were you doing with Yumma?"

"Who?"

"The girl."

"We were told to collect tax, and the tax here was either one of the girls." He grunted as he shifted his weight. His chakra flared even more and I realized this man was not a ninja. No just muscle that didn't know how to control his chakra. There was a new feeling to his and it hitched when I brought up Yumma. His fear was mingling with a sick pleasure.

"What did you do once you found her?" Now panic was seeping out of him. "Did you try to touch her?" It was almost as if I could feel the vibrations coming from his chest. Huh... That was new. "Tell me." I reached for another kunia.

"We were told we could sample the product." His words came out in a rush. I snapped up as rage flooded my body.

"She is fucking eleven years old!" I screamed at the man. He didn't move, and he didn't breath. I finished reaching for my blade.

"WAIT! YOU TOLD ME IF I TOLD YOU, YOU WOULD LET ME GO!" The man panicked as I began to twirl my kunia over my finger. Then he began to sob, I clenched my jaw and threw my kunia into his skull. Child rapists do not deserve second chances.

I collected my weapons and pulled the body into a clearing that we had been using for training. I placed the man were Koji practiced his fire works, the burn grass crunching under my feet and the char smell filling my nose. I walked a few feet away from the corpse, then turned and blew a fire ball at it. Burning flesh filled the air. I walked back to the inn, knowing that tomorrow Yasha will be dead.

There was no reason to lie when I told Noni that I had to do a supply run into town. We just happened to need chicken feed, and Yosh had some cheeses that he wished to sell at the market that after noon. I know that she was becoming more suspicions about the "games" that we were now playing, and I am sure that the changes in the kids were noticeable. I could feel them moving more gracefully, and I am sure that the muscles on their bodies were probably more toned compares to the children of their ages. She would ask if we were still obsessively playing the silly ninja game, and she would always say ninja like it were a curse. Which kinda made me laugh, because the woman would often curse every other word, but ninja was not a tolerable word. I figure I will deal with my suspicions once I get back. I have been working too hard to eliminate this threat to have her interfere.

"Hey Yosh, can I ask you something?" I questions as we paddle out of the islands harbor.

"What's up Sui?" He paddles the boat toward the main land.

"What can you tell me about Yasha?" Everything stills, the only sound that is heard is

the slapping of water against the hull.

"Why?" His voice was low and gruff.

"I just need to know." I shift my feet under on the wood boards.

"What are you planing?" I hear the creaks of the paddles moving under his hands. The wind pick up a little, littering my skin with drops of water.

"Elimination." Resolve rang in my word.

"Sui.."

"He tried to have Yumma taken, and gave his men the approval of her rape. I will not sit ideally by." My hands make fists, and I can feel the tendons dancing in my arms. "Yasha is a crime lord, the most powerful of the area.. You Sui, are a blind fifteen year old, what is it that you can really do?" His voice was soft, as if he was talking to a child. The tone made my jaw tick. "I can take care of this threat. I am unaware if you know the ranks of shinobi, but I was a jounin at the age of ten. I was one of the most lethal weapons of my village before I hit puberty. I have trained for two years for this, and I will succeed." My voice was low as I spoke. There was another pause, and I knew that he was debating about whether or not to tell me. "His men raped Noni... That night we came back, they raped her and I could not stop it at the time. I will not let that happen again, not to Noni, Hisako or Yumma." I took a deep breath. That was not a card that I wanted to play. It was not for me to tell Yosh, but I needed the information that I knew he had.

"Will you please help me?" I could hear him shift in front of me, and then he began to paddle once more.

"If anything happens to you Noni is going to kill me." Yosh sighed.

Yosh provided me with the information that he could. I would still have to try and get more, but that was ok. I may have been out of the game as a ninja for a little while, but I doubt getting recon material has changed in three years. I had until tomorrow at dusk to get done what I needed. It was a little short on time, but that was all the time that Yosh could afford to be away from the inn. I would make this work. We left each other at the market where Yosh was to sell his goods. From there I walked into the seedier part of town. Yosh told me that this was were I would find the taverns, and taverns were the best place to get the information I needed. The chakra coming from most of the patrons was indeed heavy and dark, just the people that I was looking for. It was late morning when I first walked into the bar. It smelled of spirits, smoke, sweat, and sex.

I slowly walked over to the bar feeling my way by letting my chakra leak out showing me where different objects lie. I knew that letting my chakra out instead of keeping it concealed may not have been a wise choice, but I didn't have time. Perhaps feeling my presence would loosen a tongue or two.I sat down at the bar and waited for the keep. She slowly made her way to me and then stood in front of me and observed me for a few moments. Her finger tapping on the counter.

"A little young to be here hun, aren't you?" I tilt my head up at her and smirk as I run my hand through me hair, which now was down a little past my shoulders.

"Well I am not aware of how young I look," I let my fingers run over the edge of my blindfold. "But I can assure you, sweetheart, that I am more then old enough to partake in a drink." I let my lips raise a bit more in her direction.

"Hmmmmmm." I can hear her nail trace along the bar. "Well what can I get you?"

"Sake will do fine." She walked away then returned, I heard the sound of the bowl echoing hallowing against the counter, then the swish of liquid as it was filled. I pick it up and took a small sip. I smile and raise my brows at the keep and I push forward a folded bill.

"Sweetie, I was wondering if you could give me some information." I smile at her. Her hand goes over mine brushing it lightly before her fingers pulled the money from under my fingers. I hear her half grunt half laugh as she shifts her weight.

"What kind of information would a hansom young man, such as yourself, be looking for?" Her hand encases mine and I can feel the warmth of her body as she leans over the bar.

"I need to know the location of business man, perhaps you have heard of him?" I tilt my head and lean my body in closer to the woman. We were so close that I could feel her breath on my face. "Have you heard of Yasha?" I let my voice grow lower. Kind blunt I know, but I didn't have much time. Her hand flexes and tightens on mine as she draws back from me.

"Are you interested in his products? Or is it something else?" Her voice was low and hard, agitation leaking out of her. My brow raises at the response. Where do I go from there?

"I am interested with his product I suppose." I drawl. She scoffs at me, and I tilt my head the other way. "Do you know of his products."

"I don't serve to those with those type of inclinations. I do not have may rules in my establishment, but that is a line that I am unwilling to cross... If you could please depart Ninja-san." She hissed at me, and used an honorific... Well, then.

"I am sorry if I have offended, but I think that there was some type of miscommunication, what product are you speaking of?" I slowly scratch my chin. I can  
hear the saliva in her mouth move as she ran her tongue over her teeth.

"The children he uses as yujo." She spat at me. My brows shot up and my mouth turns own. Of course he would have other children. My blood begins to boil and I can't even control the chakra flare that my rage triggers. I lean in even further towards her.

"That I am interested in, but not for the reasons you think." I growl out to her through clenched teeth. The few moments that pass are tense. I am taking such a massive risk here. She leans in to me again.

"His base of operations is located at the west edge of town. Right next to the harbor. I have heard from his men that he recently got back." She whispered in the shell of my ear. Her hand goes over mine again, only I feel paper being pushed into my hand again. "Good luck ninja-san. If you hear of a girl named Miko, please send her my way."

"Thank you keeper-chan, I will send her if I can find her." I drink the rest of my sake in a gulp and take my leave.

 **So a bit of a filler, I know. The next few chapters will have even more time skips. I am not thrilled with this chapter... I rewrote it atleast 4 times and still meh. I feel that it's needed.**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews, faves, and follows! You all are awesome sauce!**


	6. Chapter 6

I strolled down to the harbor, no one really pays much attention to me. I mean I guess that the plus side of being blind, is that no one really thinks much of me. Well, that and I am sure that I look like some type of homeless kid. My current wardrobe consists of hand me downs mostly from Yosh, and the man is huge so everything just hangs on my frame. I am sure that it makes me look younger being swathed by so much cloth. My hair is now past my shoulder and I walk around with out shoes. Yeah, I think it has more to do with what I probably look like then the fact that I am blind. It may have bothered me at one point. Uchihas were always put together, and took pride in everything that they did and their appearances, but I just cannot find it in me to care about what I can't see. As long as I was clothed, clean, and my hair didn't have matts in it, I was content.

I walk and listen to the conversations around me, most have nothing to do with why I am here. The latest town gossip, business talk, the current fishing conditions. Boring stuff that did not help me in what I was after. I hummed to myself as I walked, feeling the frustration bubble in me. I needed to find some one talking about Yasha. Ideally if I could find some one that was also going to the place of business it would be even better. I still don't know the precise location.. I struggle not to frown and sigh as I continue to walk the harbor listening for anything that could help.

"...New shipment? Are they as fresh and tender as the last?"

"Oh yeah, probably even greener then the last batch." A man said with a low chuckle.

"Yasha have his place open tonight?"

I felt a jolt of electricity run down my spine at the sound of the man's name. My body stops for a moment before I force my feet to keep moving, thought at a much slower pace, so I do not draw the men's attention.

"From what I hear."

"Then I will see you there after my shift?"

"Wouldn't miss it. It's always better to be the first in line for a ride."

My stomach clenched as the men talked to each other. I grit my teeth and try to reign in the anger that was rising. My first reaction is to eliminate them, they are nothing but trash, but unfortunately I need them to lead the way. I honed in on their chakras signatures, familiarizing myself with it. Then I walked a bit further away.

It didn't seem that there was much of a threat here. I mean I could defiantly feel that there were guards around here, but they were either civilian, or chunnin level shinobi. There didn't seem to be any power players, which was ridiculous and stupid in my book. Then again I am not going to complain about the lack of power. This may have been easier then I thought. I lean against the building as I keep my focus on the men, waiting for themto lead me to were I needed to be.

There was little to no movement for nearly three hours, but then I noticed one of the men's chakra moving quickly. There was a savage excitement about it as he hurried down the harbor. I tailed him to building that held more chakra then any place around. There were a lot of people in there. The heaviest concentration was under it, the basement it would seem. I sunk back away from the building trying to come up with a game plan.

Ok, well to be one hundred percent honest I didn't have much of a plan. My plan was more like I came, I kicked ass, and I conquered. Which would probably get me more bruises and broken bones then I wanted. I would have to make a real plan. My stomach turned in both anxiety and excitement. I have not been on a mission for a long time, and I really just wanted to dive head first into it. I knew that jumping the jutsu was probably not the wises idea. It would have been different if I could see what I was going to do, or if this was an attack in the forest.

The building in front of me seemed to be three stories, four levels including a basement. There seemed to be ten sentries that never seemed to move more then ten feet from their posts. So my game plan: I would wait for night to fall, then clear out the sentries as quickly and quietly as possible, from there start from the bottom up. Itachi would hate this plan. Hell, I kinda hated the plan I didn't have as much information that I wanted. I am going on nothing, other then the word of a dock worker. What if this wasn't even Yasha's place. I shake my head and feel the chakra and air around me. It's filled with tension, lust, violence. No, this had to be it. It was were the bar keep said it would be, and the atmosphere round here just reeked of his operation.

The plus side was ot there did not seem to be any high level nins in his building either. The fool. Though the idea of fighting inside a building was starting to worry me. Why couldn't his base be somewhere in the woods? I knew how to fight in the open not an enclosed space where vibrations may bounce about.

I waited for the tell tail signs of night to begin, the songs of the nocturnal bugs, the cooling of air, the dimming of sound. The chakra's around me fading as the workers found their way home. The only place that was still buzzing with activity was the building in front of me. I notice that the only place that had chakra in it was Yasha's. The rest of the dock was barren of people.

It was time.

My heart began to thud loudly in my chest as I began to circle the building. Far enough away from the sentries that they wouldn't notice. They were all standing in the same placed some what pacing a bit. I crept to the first once, feeling were he was at as my chakra leaked out. My hands quickly going to the sides of his head and twisting quickly. The knot in my stomach and my heart calmed at the sound of the sharp crack. I was back in my element. The training from my childhood taking hold. I fell back into the roll of killer comfortably. It was comforting and extremely alarming.

I made quick work of the guards, none of them saw me coming. Which at first I thought was a shame. I mean really you are going to try and run a black market sex trade, and these are the people that you hire? A Genin team could have taken them down. Once I was done clearing the outside, I managed to find a door that went in to the basement. This was were most of the chakra was coming from, so either he had an army down here of this was were he had the children. I got to the door and tried to enter it but of course it was locked. Lucky for me, Goro had figured out how to pick locks with chakra control and had taught me. I should probably ask how he figured that our, but I kinda don't want to know.

I push my chakra into the tumblers of the lock and push them up. A satisfying click alerts me that it's open. I press the door open and the smell hits me like a brick wall. Urine, drugs, smoke, spirits, sex, blood. This was truly a demons den. The sounds were what slammed into me next. Muffles moans, sharp intakes of breath, screeches, screams, flesh hitting flesh. The knot in my stomach returns.

I still for a second putting my hand against the wall, feeling the vibrations in them. There were multiple rooms, it was like a fucking maze down here. I could easily go room by room, taking down the "clients," but there were also children in here. Would they scream? Probably. Would that alert anyone? I don't know. What other choice did I have? I take a deep breath and just push forward cursing myself for not having a more detailed plan.

I run my hand down the hall waiting to hit a door frame. After a few steps I feel the dip, letting me know that the door on both sides of the hallway. That was convenient. I slowly open the door to my left and listen as I scope it out with my chakra. There was only one person in there an they had such a small amount of chakra that it had to be a child.

"Hello." I push the door in more, and slowly begin to walk in. " I am not here to do anything to you. I want to help." I say softly as I walk in on the balls of my feet. There was a sharp intake of breath as I closed the door. "I mean it. I am going to get all of you out here, but I might need your help though." I take another step into the room. "What's your name?"

"Ju." A shacky voice came from the other side of the room. I could hear soft steps coming towards me. "You are really here to help?"

"Yes," I breathed. She made her way closer to me.

"What's your name?" She hesitantly asked. I pause for a moment, I really didn't want to tell her my full or nickname. I did not need this to come back to Noni, Yosh, or the kids.

"You can call me whatever you wish." I said in a low tone. "I have to get goin... " Her hand clasped onto mine.

"You said you are here to help," desperation leeks into her voice. I look down in her direction.

"I am, but I have to go for while. I am sorry we can't talk longer, but time is not on our side. Nothing will happen to you, I need you to listen to me. I want you to stay in your room for a half an hour. Ju, after that time passes I want you to go into each room and collect the children. Once you are all together run. Run as fast as you can. Go to bar near the merchant docks. Do you know what I am talking about?" The air grew still and silent for a moment. "Ju, I am blind. If you are nodding or shaking your head I won't know sweetie." I smirk at her.

"Oh... No I don't know I am not from around here. I was sold in Suna" She whispered. I wince at what she said. Sold like fucking cattle.

"That's fine, there are some that are from around here. Just tell them where you need to go. Look out for a girl named Miko. She'll know." I squeeze her hand a little tighter. "I need to go, be sure to wait the thirty minutes ok? It was nice meeting you Ju." I let go of her small hand and go out into the hall way. I place my hand on the wall directly in front of me and sense the vibrations and chakra coming from it. There were two people, once small I assuming another child and the other large.

I swallow the bile that is attempting to make it's way up at what is going on in that room. I take a deep breath in attempt to calm myself before I opened the door. All sanity leaves me once I hear the scream that sounds behind the wall. I quickly shoved the door open. I am greeted with a thick smell of arousal, sex, and blood. I growl as I send my chakra out searching for my prey. The pants that filled the space cease and I hear the springs of a beg creak.

"What the fuck?! my time isn't done yet. I paid for two hours so get out and wait your turn." A mans voice grunts out as the springs begin to squeal louder.

"Your time ends now." My lips curl into a maddening smile. Before he could do anything I am behind of him with a kunia in my hand. There was no fight as I shoved it into the mans temple.

"Please no, don't hurt me! No! Please, No!" A tiny voice pleads in front of me. I take a breath in as I pull my blade from the mans temple. It makes a wet suctioning noise as it comes out. I grab his body as it begins to fall onto the child and toss it to the ground.

"I am not here to hurt you. I don't have time to explain but, be ready to leave soon. A girl named Ju will come, follow her. If she isn't here leave in thirty minutes and gather the other kids and run. You all will be free tonight." I don't even wait for a response before I leave into the hallway. I wish I could have stopped, to assure them it would all be ok, but I didn't have the time.

I whirl through the basement in a rage. There were sixty four kids down there. All their voiced sounded so young. The smells the sounds, I know this will haunt me till the day that I die. I don't let myself focus on the pain that I feel every time I hear them cry, I let it fuel me to keep pushing forward. By the time that I have searched every room I had killed forty three. My hands are sticky with the blood of pedophiles and rapists. I wait for the sounds of small feet rushing towards me.

"Miko? Is there a Miko here?" I hissed when the children's feet came to a stop in front of me.

"That's me." A tiny tiny voice said. The girl really sounded like she had to be no more then six or seven.

"Do you know some one that works at a bar near the merchant docks?"

"Yes, my sister." She sighed in relief. I smile at the group in front of me.

"She is looking for you. Take the others and get there as soon as possible. I will see you there if I can." There was a shuffling of feet that ran past me. In a second the room was silent. I slowly made my way to the first floor. It seemed to be more of a lounge area then a brothel. No that was all done in the seclusion of the basement.

The moment I begin to take the stairs my stomach drops. Fuck! I never trained using vibrations in a building that had more then two stories. Already I was getting weird interference from having a hollowed out spaces under and above me. After this floor I still had two more, and I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to use vibrations to my advantage. Well at least with this floor I should be able to get by.

"What...the...fuck?" Was what greeted me once I entered a large room. I can only imagine what I look like now. I can smell the death and blood rolling off of me. I had to look like something from a nightmare. I let out a toothy smile and let my chakra flare. It felt good, I had not done in some time. I can feel that there are twenty three people in here, none shinobi. This will be easy. Not as easy as the basement but not as difficult as it could be.

I let my hand roll down my leg and pull out multiple shurikans and let them loose. I can hear the satisfying thunk as they lodge themselves into flesh. Five hit the floor.

"Man, who the hell are you!?" A panic scream comes out in front of me. I don't even bother answering as I launch myself at the man. There was little resistance. Most attempted to flee. I did not let them leave. I body flicker around the space The last thing they saw was me appearing before them then death greeted them.

The first floor only took me ten minutes to clear. My body count was now hit seventy six.

I climbed to the second floor and I was really beginning to loose my barrings. The vibrations were completely different, there would be echo's of previous movements. It was difficult to "see" my opponents. There were even less people on this floor. I flared my chakra again threatening them. This time three strong chakras flared back at me. Well this may get messier then I thought.

Awesome, there is a fucking wind user, and every time that bastard set something off it would make the whole damn building vibrate. I really should have just used a fire jutsu, and be done with it. Burn the building from the middle, but I wanted to face Yasha. The damn Uchiha pride popping up at the more undesirable moments.

I had eliminated all but two that had the biggest chakra. I started to get cocky and lett my blood lust take control. They each landed a kunia on me, the first was embedded in my thigh, the other in my shoulder. I grind my teeth at the sharp pains that I feel when I move. I don't take them down gracefully, it ends in grappling on the floor. I was able to get a kunia to the base of ones skull, and snapping the neck of the other. They may have had a decent amount of chakra but it seems that they were ill trained on how to use it. A waste of talent.

The final floor and there are only two people in it. One I know it Yasha, and the other seems to be a child. I push my way into the room were he was. The two chakra signatures were close. Too close.

"Who are you and who sent you?" A low voice growls. I walk further into the room.

"I am Shusiu Uchiha, and I sent myself."

"Uchiha, that is impossible, they were wiped out."

"Not all." I drawl. There was a moment of silence and I could feel the man sizing me up. "Let the child go. Take this like a man." I growl. I can hear him snort and the sound of a chair being pushed against tile. The small chakra was pushed to the side. There was a step forward and a slight gasp.

"How is this possible, you have no eyes." The man mutters.

"Evolution I suppose. Natural selection, survival of the fittest type thing."

"A blind boy took out my whole operation?" He murmurers. "You know I could offer you much for your service." I scoff at him. Seriously?

"I don't make deals with the devil." I smirk at him. "But I sure as hell will dance with him." I take a fighting stance, as I attempt to feel my way around the room. I have a good amount of chakra left, butI know that I am royaly fucked if this fight goes for too long. I hear his feet hit the ground and he charges me. I push aside the sharp pains from my puncture wounds and block and parry his attacks. It seemed that he had some training, but it was lacking majorly. How could such weak fighters terrorize this place? I knew the answer. This was a small town, with out much to offer. There was no police force or shinobi to protect it's citizens. Towns like these are easy to over look.

After only a few moment I land a kick to the mans side and he slams into the wall. He barely pulls himself up by the time I was on him again.I place my foot on his throat.

"How many?" I ask through bared teeth

"What?" Yasha croaks out.

"How many children's lives have you destroyed for your own gain." I push my foot a little more into his throat. He begins to wheeze at the pressure.

"I don't know, hundreds." He is grabbing onto my ankles trying to push away. I growl at him.

"You deserve worse then death." I find myself reaching for a kunia. I stand there for a moment then flick it down into the mans groan. I know with that single flick that I had castrated him and nicked an artery. The man howls in pain. I can't help but let a smirk pull at my lips. I let my foot fall from his throat and slam down into his thigh. The snap I feel under my foot makes my smirk grow into a smile.

"Enjoy your next few moments." I say and walk away. I look for the other chakra signature of the child but find nothing. Good, they must have fleed.

I run down the stairs and once I am in the first floor I ignite a fire ball. I leave as the building begins to burn... Perhaps I am spending too much time with Koji.

I walk a few blocks from the warehouse. My muscles ache and my cloths are sticky and stiff and my hands were beginning to shake hard. I take an uneven breath as I walk to the shore line. I walk slowly into the soft surf, letting the waves wash the blood and filth that is on me. I lower my body down and and start to scrub my hands and face with the sand. I scrub hard and vigorously to the point were my skin begins to hurt and feel raw.

It had been a long time since I had caused such mass destruction. I wasn't sorry, no those men were the scum of the earth and needed to be eradicated. I just wasn't use to being a harbinger of death again. I wasn't use to taking enjoyment in pain and death, but I can't help feeling some measure of giddiness. Was I always like this? I don't think that I want to know the answer.

I pull myself our of the surf and try to wring out my hair and clothes the best I can. I slowly walk to the bar that I ventured into earlier today. I open the door and the place is filled with noise. The noise of children talking.

"Ninja-san!" I hear the bar tender yell. I move slowly towards her. "You found her, I didn't think that you could do it , but you did!" Her body slams into mine and holds me tight. I let my hand awkwardly pat her shoulder while she sobbed into me.

"I am sorry about sending all the kids here. I assumed that it would be safer here then were I was." I say as she pulls away from me.

"Oh no, don't even apologize." She sniffles.

"There is a problem though, I was not aware that there would be so many. I do not have accommodations for them." I grimace as she pulls me down into a seat. I feel so tired.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." She yells as she walks away. I then hear a cup hit the table in front of me and then the splash of liquid.

"Drink, then I have a bed that you can use You look like you need to sleep." She pushes a cup into my hand. I just nod in her direction and swallow the burning liquid. She takes my hand and leads me to a room and guides me to the bed. I lay down without a complaint. Really I should not be able to sleep in a new environment, with new people. It goes against all my training as a shinobi, but I am just sooo damn tired. Sleep quickly pulls me under.

I wake up early in the morning. The bar and building are filled with soft sleeping breaths and the occasional snore. I pull myself off the bed and silently leave. I have done what I could have for the kids, there was nothing left for me to do.

I walk to the merchant docks and go to were Yosh had tied up our boat. He wasn't there which wasn't a surprise. Who would want to spend the night on a paddle boat? I pull myself into the vessel and lean back. I just wanted to go home, but I knew that Yosh probably wouldn't be there till midday at the earliest. I sigh as I wrap a cloak around me. I fought the urge to sleep, but it ultimately won.

I wake when the boat suddenly tips more then it had on the waves. I threw myself up and slam into a large body that stepped onto the boat.

"Relax kid, it's just me." Yosh's voice comes out slow. I let my grip loosen from his shirt and take a breath in. Last night has seemed to awaken all my training. I was still on edge. I could hear him fumbling with something, the boat tilts dramatically from side to side. I push myself back onto the bench and take a seat.

"You ready to go home?" He asks in a soft voice. I just nod and direct my face to the open water. Most of the trip we sat in comfortable silence, well comfortable for me. I has a feeling that Yosh was a bit concerned, but it didn't seem like he would say anything.

"So, how are you doing?" He drawls. I was wrong.

"Fine." The only thing that could be heard now was the water hitting the hull and the slapping of paddles.

"There was a large fire in the warehouse district. Seems nearly eighty men were killed." He said quietly while continuing to paddle.

"Was there? Perhaps they should have been more careful." I drawl and lean back.

"Sui... Enough of the games. I know it was Yasha's warehouse. I know you were involved. Are you ok?" He pulled the ores in and leaned forward.

"I... I may need some one to look at my thigh and shoulder besides that I am fine. Just tired" I ran my hands through my hair.

"So you did that? By yourself? How is that possible?" The shock, awe and apprehension in his voice kinda threw me.

"Yosh, I was trained to be a protector and a killer since before I could tie my own shoes. I told you not to worry about me." I sighed. I hear the paddles going back into the water again. He is uncomfortable with me now. I can feel it around him. "Yosh, I am still the same ya know. I just did what I had to do, what no one else could do." I softly say.

"Sui. It's just a little startling... I mean you are only a child... You just took down a small army... I just can't wrap my mind around it... I can't help but see you in a different manner." His voice was low and laced with sadness. This was something that the people of this village ever had to think about. I mean missions, fighting, death, that had been my life, but not theirs.

"I did what I had to do to protect us, nothing more nothing less." Well that was a lie. I didn't have to kill all those in the basement, not in the lounge, but the world was a better place with out people like those. I played judge jury and executioner and would not feel sorry about it... Should I?


	7. Chapter 7

We did not speak more on the way back to the inn. I don't know if Yosh thinks of me as a monster or not, and it is bothers me more then I let on. The moment our little vessel makes land fall I feel Hisako running up to greet us. I pull myself onto the dock when she throws her arms around me making me jump and hiss in pain.

"Sui? Are you ok?" She asks as she pulls away. "Ohh, there is blood coming from your leg. Come, Come we have to get that fixed up." She takes my hand and I hobble after her.

"Hisako wait." I try and pull away from her. She just sighs and pulls me harder.

"Sui you are bleeding, we need to go see Noni." I stop, she tries to tug on me harder. Nope, nope, nope. There was no way that I could let Noni know what happened. Yosh is already having a problem with me, I can't let her know too. I am pretty sure that Yosh won't be the one to bring it up, and I would rather that neither of us did. I don't think that I can bare to have both of them think of me as in such a manner.

"No Noni." I shake my head and pull my hand out of hers. "Hisako can you please just look at it?"

"What? I can't heal with chakra, that's Noni's thing. Sui, really stop being a Baka. I mean what do you have to hide." Damn, I feel my body stiffen when she asks that. She clicks her tongue at me, Fuck she knows. She always knows when something is up with me.

"Sui, ARE you hiding anything?" She whispers.

"Yes," I don't even bother lying. She can see through it every time I try. I just don't need to tell her why I'm hiding.

"Hmmmm." She hums then takes my hand ,once again, and leads me back into the inn. Thankfully she doesn't take me to Noni, but leads me to my room. "Show me," She demands once she closes the door. I let out a breath, but then take off my shirt and turn.

"Sui... That's bad, I don't think that I can do anything for that..".I stand and take off my pants and show her my thigh. "You won't let me get Noni, seriously?" There was a hint of desperation in her voice, but I just shook my head. I have had worse then this and been fine. I just needed her to make sure there was no dirt in it and to clean it out.

"Seriously it should be healed with chakra." I could hear her moving stuff around, what though I have no idea.

"Fine then use your chakra." I drawl at her.

"WHAT?" She shoved her finger into my shoulder. "You have gone crazy. I can't heal!" She yells at me. I just smirk at her.

"We don't know if we don't try. Right?"

That was Bad, bad, bad idea! There is a reason medics practice on fish and not people. The learning process would just make people never come to the hospital.

It hurt like hell. After I tried to explain what she needed to do (which, I mean why the hell did I think that I could explain it? I was not a healer. Hell I was lucky if I could put a band aid on straight) she began to push her chakra into me. It felt like liquid fire running through me. My jaw clamped down and got my tongue making me bite a nice size hole in it. One that I did not want Hisako any where near.

"I think I cauterizes it." Her small voice was filled with tension and guilt.

"It's ok, let's try with the leg. Just don't try an push so much in. Remember think about the skin and muscle knitting together, not slamming." I take a deep breath in. The room has taken on the smell of burning flesh. I don't really know if she did heal my shoulder, but I think that she may have been on the right track.

I can't help but have my whole body tense as I feel her small hand on my thigh. Both of us take a breath in and she begins once again.

It wasn't nearly as bad as my shoulder. It was not pleasant, ohhh not at all, but the burning sensation wasn't as strong and it stayed in the puncture wound. She works on my thigh for while when I feel she hands start to shake, and her breathing become erratic.

"Hisako, it's good." I say quietly.

"No, just a little more." Her hands are now violently trembling. I grip onto her and pull her away.

"You have to be careful!" I hiss at her pushing her hand away. "You can seriously hurt yourself with chakra depletion."

"I am sorry, I just wanted to finish." Her voice was quite and uneven. Now I felt like an ass for yelling at her. She was just doing what I asked.

"I know, but I don't want you to hurt yourself for me. Don't ever do that, ok Hisako?" I say softly as I give her hand a squeeze. She just hummed at me, not promising anything and left me to rest.

After dispatching Yasha, the time passed peacefully. There were a few thugs that attempted some type of extortion from the island, but they were easily scared off. The kids would have made fine Shinobi, it was a shame that they did not have a hidden village to work for. Hisako had actually turned into a decent medic. Noni surpised me, she never once questioned the training anymore and she actually helped with healing training. I wonder if Yosh had told her about what I did. I don't think that I want to know.

News reached the inn about Yasha's death a few weeks after. Yumma just hugged me and cried. I never asked her about what had happened when she was almost taken away from us, but I know that his death probably would help with some closure.

It took a while for Yosh to start talking and joking with me again. Almost six months to be exact. I can't tell you why he changed, maybe he accepted it, maybe he just forced it out of his mind. I am just happy that he is no longer weary and tense around me. For a while he would leave the room if I was in a bad mood or sour about something. I really missed his teasing and paternal side. I really hope that he didn't see me as a monster.

The years passed and I grew into a man, and the kids were no longer kids but preteens and teens. Life was good, and I had absolutely no complaints. I would think of Itachi and Sasuke often, but as time passed they took up less and less of my time. I didn't know quite how to deal with that. I didn't want to forget, but there was no use in thinking about it. I may have struck fear in some low level criminals here, but I know that I would not be a challenge if I were to go against Root. Going to Kohona was just not an option. Itachi was lost as a nuke nin, and Sasuke was in the village that I could not return to. No my favorite cousins were out of my reach. My life was was following a different path then them. I just figured that when as time went on that I, and the other kids would take on the inn once Noni or Yosh retired. Was it the heroic and romantic life that I thought of when I was a boy? No. That was ok though.

One fall evening, when I was nineteen, Hisako and I were laying on a small hill in front of the inn. We were enjoying the newly cooled weather, and the earlier start of the nocturnal insects. There was no need for word, just to be close to each other was good enough for us. While I was close with all the kids, there had always been something between her and I. We would often be found together, talking, sitting, or her reading to me. It may seem pretty lame, but those are some of my favorite memories. Lying on the grass, while she read me the newest novel that came out. "Hey Sui?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you."

"You know I love you too kiddo." I tilt my head in her direction and smiled. She took a shaky breath in and grabbed my hand.

"No... Sui... I am in love with you." My breathing stopped and my brows furrowed. I pulled my hand out of hers and sat up. This I had not been expecting. How? I have been like her big brother to her.

"I don't think you are." I say softly and slowly. How the hell do you handle this? I love her, yes I would burn the world for her, but just not in that way. The last thing that I want to do is hurt her. "Hisko, you are still so young. I don't know if you would know what that type of love is." I sigh.

"Sui, you are the last person, that can tell that because of my age, I would not know what I am feeling. I mean what were you like at thirteen?" I could hear her roll over and face me. I still and ponder her question.

"Well, I was a shinobi, then I was here." I shrug.

"And you were just a child playing ninja, or were you making adult decisions?"

"I suppose I thought that they were adult decisions." I sigh and lift my arms to rest under my head. "But I never thought that I was in love at thirteen. The only love that I had was my village."

"Hmmmm, so you were in the right to kill, to fight, to be a mercenary. But yet too young to know love? Perhaps you had not met the right person." Her voice sang. I smirk at here. She never would raise her voice, instead when spoke in a sing song manner that was when you knew she was getting upset.

"Perhaps, thought I am too old for you Hisako. You know that. You are considered a child and I am an adult." If I could not get to her emotionally perhaps this will make her think.

"Well I can wait." I can hear her smile. "Can I make a bet with you? I mean, I know how much you, Koji and Goro love to bet." I purse my lips and turn my head in her direction.

"Depends what is the bet."

"I bet by the time I am seventeen that you will be in love with me." I sigh and shake my head.

"What do you get if you win?" I try not to smirk, but I really can't help it.

"You." She breaths in the shell of my ear causing my skin to prickly. I swallow thickly.

"And if I win?"

"Then I will leave it be, I will not bother you starting on my seventeenth birthday." My hands lower and I run my hands over my face, rubbing my sockets with my palms.

"Deal" I agree after a few moments of tense silence. She giggles next to me then places a small hand on my chin.

"Sui?"

"Hisako?"

"I am going to win this bet." I feel her push her lips against mine in a chaste kiss. She gets up quickly and runs back into the inn. Why do I have a feeling that she may be right?

Thankfully Hisako was good with keeping things normal between us. That was one of my major concerns after that night. It also seemed that she didn't tell any of the other kids, which thank the gods for. We already had a pretty indecent banter between us, and I didn't need to hear the three of them calling me a cradle robber. The only thing new thing that she would do was let her innocent touches linger a bit longer then needed, and the occasional peck on the cheek. I could handle that.

A few months later more major news found it's way to the bar at the inn. I over heard that the Leaf was attacked by Orochimaru and the Hokage was killed. I didn't know how to feel about that news. At one point I loved the man as our leader. The respect that I had for him shook me to the bone. Then the massacre happened and nothing was gained besides the graves of my the he was not the one pulling the strings, he was part of what happened. I knew Itachi was acting on orders. There was nothing that could explain it besides that. I have also heard that he was now apart of the Akatsuki. He was thrown to the lions. For what? I don't think that I can find it in me to have sympathy. Government was so fucked up. There had to be better ways besides this working underneath the underneath. Life could be simple. We are the ones that make it complicated.

Then quickly the rumor mill brought up Sasuke again. I had not had a panic attack since finding out about the massacre, well I had another that day. The depth of manipulation around him was staggering. He had gone off with Orochimaru, to gain power to kill Itachi. I can't help but think of Anko and how bad her "Sensie" had messed the girl up. Would that happen to Sasuke? It made me sick to my stomach.

That news, hit me harder then even the massacre. Sasuke wanted to kill his brother, and it seemed to me that Itachi was goading him into it. I decided tht I would leave and actually was prepared for the journey. I wanted to run to him, to tell him that there has to be more.. I couldn't. I didn't know where to go, or how I could go about it. I also felt responsible for this island I called my home, and the people I called my family. Sasuke was my family first though, and I couldn't do anything. Perhaps I was a coward, or selfish. I felt lost for a long time.

It seemed that the attack on the leaf was a catalyst for violence to spread through the lands. There were many missing nin running about causing a ruckus. Our island was slowly becoming a popular stopping spot with shinobi. While the up-rise in business made Yosh and Noni happy, the constant flow of powerful ninjas made me edgy. Though they were good to with gossip. For people that are suppose to be so secretive they sure do talk a lot.

The violence grew as the years go by. I trained the kids harder then I had ever anticipated training. I also hone in on my training. Sensing through vibration is now like breathing.

"Hey Urchin!" Noni screams into my ear. I just shake my head. She had started a game of trying to catch me off guard, and she was loosing into the triple digits.

"What's up Noni?" I ask as I begin to dry dished and put them away. She stood next to me and took a deep breath. SHIT! She only started conversations with a deep intake of breath when it was bad. Like when Koji accidentally lit a field on fire in the village. I know, that she knows, that I know that she is fully aware of the training that I do with them. We never talk about it.

"Just wanted to say thank you?" Ohhh this is really not right. Noni doesn't show gratitude often, or ever.

"For what?" I ask slowly as I turn to her. There may be ulterior motives here, and I am not sure how I feel about this.

"Taking care of the kids... I was not happy when you started to "play" ninja with them. I know that now they are much safer then if you had not trained them" She puts her hand on my shoulder, which is something else that she doesn't do. Noni is fantastic when the situation is heated or an emergency, but day to day contact is not something she has ever demonstrated. "I don't want them to go off and join a village or anything, but I know that they can all handle themselves." I swallow and give her a small nod.

"Thank you. Noni, I am sorry that I went against your wished. I felt it was necessary, and they wanted to learn. I did not shove anything on them."I give her small smile.

"I know. You were right, I can see that now. I am just a stubborn woman, who thinks too much in terms of black and white." She laughed. "I guess I am a bit more like Yosh then I want to even admit."

"What you are the size of a mountain?" I suppose calling a woman large was not the wisest comment to make. My jaw took two weeks to feel normal again.

No big news passes for a few years. The world does seem to be tense. There is constant talk of war between the nations. With the political unease the crime around the village does seem to rise, but the island is well protected. The kids have to be at least jounin level. They all also have been working on coining a new jutsu. Koji had created what he calls the "gates of hell." In which he combined his fire and wind chakra to make multiple fiery tornadoes. It was massively large and wielded a great amount of damage. I had to ban him from training those on the island, much to his chagrin.

Hisako's jutsu was something that I had never really encountered before. She embraced both destructive and healing chakra together. She would form a shield of sort, those with in the bubble would be washed in healing chakra, while anyone who would attempt to approach would be impaled on chakra spikes. It made me nervous. She had great chakra control, but it wasn't perfect. A few times while working on her shield she would push herself too far and wound up unconscious.

Yumma had by far the best chakra control. She was ablew to mold her chakra into claws that extended four inched from her fingers and toes. She was lethal and had quite the temper to boot. She also took up healing, hile she wasn't as interested in healing as Hisako, she did pick up some basic techniques.

Goro, well he wasn't really interested in a "signature move," He focused on being able to track. He was really impressive, he could feel others chakras from great distances. Farther then I ever thought possible actually. He was the front line of really keeping the inn safe. They really did amaze me every day.

When I was twenty two I lost the bet Hisako made. In one day I surrendered my heart and soul to the girl.

"Noni, have you seen Hisako?" I jog up to the boat that she was shucking barrnicels off of.

"Hisako? No." She grunted, the scrapping noises sharp on my ears. "She should be back soon though." If I could I would be glaring daggers at her right now.

"She said that she would be back today. She didn't take the paddle boat, and the last ferry came twenty minuted ago. She's never late. " I shift on my heals and begin to gnaw on the inside of my cheek. Hisako had gone to get supplies in the villages. She told me that it would take two weeks. I know that she is more then capable, but Goro had not been able to track her since three days after she left.

"Shisui, she is a big girl, you have trained them well. There are a lot of reasons that people are late. Give it a few more days then we will go from there." She yawned as she turned to me. I let out a long sigh. "Plus you never know, a pretty thing like her she may be getting courted." She laughed. My body stiffens at her words.

"She's being courted?" I ask slowly.

"Hell if I know, but it is a good possibility." She laughed then began to her shucking again. "You know she isn't going to wait forever."

"What?"

"You heard me, kid. I think you have chores to complete, don't you?" I shake my head and walk back into the inn.

She has been gone for six days past when she said she would be home. I can't focus on anything. It has been three days since I was able to eat, or sleep. I feel like my mind is slowly slipping.

"I am going Yosh, she has never been this late." I growl as I march into the kitchen.

"I understand, but we told Noni that we would give her till tomorrow." He sighed as he threw something into hot oil. I just snarl in the direction that he was in.

"Why aren't you and Noni taking this seriously? She is alone and she is late!" I slam my hand down in frustrations. Their lack of concern was getting infuriating.

"It's not that we are not taking it seriously, it's the face that we have faith in her. Those supply runs can go over you know that. Remember two years ago when we were two weeks over?" I hear him moving pots around on the stove. "We said give her a week, and that is what we are going to give her."

"But she is alone," I snap at him.

"Do you think she is weak?" I scoff at him.

"No." I know she isn't we have spared and she can handle herself, but even the most seasoned warrior can make mistakes. "Fine I'll give it till tomorrow."

At sunrise the next day I make my way to the dock were the ferry drops off guests. I sit down and lean against a tree in the direction of the shore. It was a nice day and the salty air was crisp on my skin. It may have been able to enjoy it if I wasn't so concerned with Hisako running so far behind.

I sat there for hours, wasting the day away waiting. The knot in my stomach becoming tighter with each scheduled departure of the ferries. Slowly the sun began to set. I had not moved from my spot. I may have been hungry and thirsty, but I couldn't really tell.

The final boat came and I stood. I flared my chakra and searched for hers frantically. It flops around like a fish our of water. I try and take a breath in to calm myself but it isn't working. That's when I feel her. She was in the hull of the ship and now she was making her way up. I walk quickly to the small ramp that ran from the vessel to the dock and stand there ans wait.

"Sui!" Hisako yells once she gets on the deck. Her voice washes over me and makes my muscles loosen immediately. I had not realized that I was so tense. I want to smiel but I can't for some reason. I can hear her walking over the ramp.

"Sui? Are you ok." She slowly walks towards me and I slowly shake my head.

"No...yes...no.." Really it should not take thought to answer that question. I just sigh and she takes another step towards me. The moment she is close enough I take her face in my hands rubbing my thumbs on her cheeks. I take a deep breath and place my forehead against hers. "Why are you so late? I was so worried." I whisper. I can feel the muscles in her cheeks move, alerting me of the lop sided smile she has on.

"Well I got everything and was heading back when I was kinda robbed." She laughed.. When was getting robbed funny? "Anyways they stole those expensive spices Yosh ordered and my pocket money. So I went after them." My head pulls back as my lips began to purse.

"You went after them?" I hiss at her.

"Well yeah, I mean do you know how expensive those silly spices are. So I went to get them back. They were pretty quick though, took me two days to catch up. She begins to lean into my hand and lets out a long sigh.

"You shouldn't have gone alone. Something could have happened." I chide her. My hands remain on her face savoring the feeling of her skin under my fingers.

"Nothing happened, just got my stuff back," she shifted as she shrugged.

"But it could have."

"Something can happen every breathing moment. I was fine."

"Hn."

"Sui?"

"Hisako?"

"I think you lost our bet." I feel both cheeks rise. I finally begin to smile at her. She pulls me forward and places her lips on mine.

I only had two weeks until her seventeenth birthday too. I guess there are worse bets I could have lost.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **We** are getting close to when Sakura shows. I promise. I think maybe a chapter or two away.


	8. Chapter 8

Love... Man it was not something that I was expecting to find. Let alone with a girl that I had basically "watched" grow up. It's crazy how whole my life turned up side down the moment that I admitted to myself that I was in fact in love with Hisako. She completed me. She has for longer then I thought. I know how sappy as that sounds but it is the truth. It was like she was a part of my soul that was outside my body and I finally found her, cheesy I know. I just can't help it though. It took me too long to figure it out, but once I did, I vowed to never let her go. Unfortunately I was never good at keeping promises.

The days, weeks, and months pass in a lazy bliss on the island. Yes, the other kids were the bane of my existence for a while after Hisako told them of our relationship. I got enough the old man and cradle robbing jabs to last me a life time. Eventually they died out and they found other things to torment me about. While we enjoyed the quite around us, the world was filling with more chaos. I was more then happy to turn a blind eye on it all.

"Hey Sui?" Hisako asked as she ran her hands through my hair as I let me head rest on her lap. Every night after supper and evening chores we would find ourselves on a hill near the dock of the island. We would sit, talk, but most of the time Hisako would bring a book and read to me until the sun had vanished far enough that she could no longer see the words on the page. This was always my favorite part of the day.

"Yeah?"

"Ummm, well I got a new book, but I don't know if you would like it." Her legs began to move a bit under me and her hands were hesitant as she played with my hair.

"What book? I mean I am not all that picky, as long as there is not kitten sacrifice or anything like that." I smirk as I lift my chin so she could she my smile.

"Kitten sacrifice?" She snorts.

"It is an abomination. I mean who would want to sacrifice little fuzzy balls of cuteness." I can feel the vibrations of her body as she shakes her head.

"What it wrong with you?" She laughs.

"I don't even know where to start with that." I shrug. "But seriously, what is wrong with the book?"

"Well there really isn't anything wrong per say," Her voice wavers a bit as she talks. "Well I just don't know if it is a genera that you would appreciate." She said with a soft laugh.

"Hisako, just read it. I mean it must be something that you want read, and I am fine as long as I can hear your voice. That's the part I love the most anyways." I reached up and rubbed her arm slowly. I could feel the smile that she gave while looking down at me.

"Ok, here we go."

The book started out as most romance novels that she had read to me. The descriptions, thought, were much more vivid and the character development was fairly deep, and the plot seemed pretty good. So I lay there with my head in her lap imagining what she was reading. Hisako paused for a moment and shifted under me. I turned my head up and pursed my lips. She cleared her throat, then lowered her voice as she began to read again.

I finally understood why she was so hesitant to read it out loud to me. Yes it was a romance novel, but this here, well it was erotica. My Hisako was reading me porn! I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as she read the actions that the main characters were partaking in. Her voice was lowering as her breath was becoming shallow. My breathing mimicked hers. I lay there and listen thinking only of Hisako and I making love as she read on. Her legs shifted again. Slowly a smirk spread across my lips as I once again lifted my arm and began to rub her arm. Her breath hitched at my touch. She paused for a moment then continued to read. She was having a hard time concentrating now and that made my smirk slide into a smile. I pulled myself up and sat next to her. She stopped reading once I removed my head from her lap.

"Keep reading." My lips brush over her ear before I take the bottom of her lobe into my mouth and begin to suck lightly. She lets out a small sigh but continues to read. I smile as I move from her ear down her jaw. Littering her with kisses. Her breathing was now shaky and her sentences were coming out strained. I hear her put the book down and feel her head move towards me.

"Kiss me," Her voice was rough and pleading. My lips trailed over her jaw again until they met the corner of her mouth. She placed her lips over mine and leaned into the kiss. It was a few moments before we deepened the kiss, enjoying the feeling of the soft flesh on flesh. My hand found it's way to her cheek and I cup her face as I taste her. I could get lost in kissing her forever. She lets out a small moan that makes my lips pull into a small smile. She pulls back but I trap her lip biting down on it and suckling it gently. Slowly I release her and she placed her forehead on mine. We sit there panting for breath, for a moment. I smile at her and let my fingertips trace over her face. Feeling her the curve of her her brow, the delicate slope of her nose, the fullness of her lips. I savor every moment as I trace the features of her face. She is so damn beautiful.

"I want you to make love to me." She whispers as my fingers trace her lips. I drop my hand and pull my head away from her.

"Are you sure?" My brows furrow.

"Yes, I have never in my life ever been so sure about anything else. I love you and I want to feel you, and show you how much I love you." I couldn't help the smile as I lean forward and kiss her again. We kiss and I feel Hisako's hand move to my side and under my shirt. She breaks from me and pulls my shirt over my head. There was a moment that she stilled, then I felt her small hands run slowly over my chest and stomach. I sigh at the simple feeling of her touch, it was like she was memorizing every inch of flesh. I nearly jump as her mouth replaces her hands. She littered my torso with soft kisses. A soft groan escapes my lips when she begins to use her tongue against my flesh. I can feel her lips move into a smile from my reaction. I pull her head back up to me and press my lips against her once more. I deepen the kiss while my hands flirt with the bottom of her shirt. My heart races as I slowly move my hands against her stomach. Her skin under my calloused hands feels like nothing I have ever felt before. She takes my wrist and pulls it up until my hand is covering her wrappings. I let out a low growl into the kiss as her breast fills my palm. Everything is a perfect fit. Her body against mine, her breasts in my hand. It was like we were two puzzle pieces that had finally came together. She was a part of me that I never knew was missing.

The rest of our clothes slowly came off. We were in no rush, and we explored and memorized each others bodies. I never wanted her to take her hands off of me. Slowly we entwined with each other, it was impossible to figure out were one of us ended and the other began. We made love slowly. It was blissful, I never knew that sex could feel like it would complete you. That's what joining with her was, we were completing each other. I touched, kissed and rocked against her with every emotion that I felt for her. I gave her everything: my heart, my love, my soul. She did the same for me.

Once we brought each other to the peak of euphoria, we laid there quietly holding each other. The adoration and love that I felt for her made me feel like I was going to burst. I would do anything for her. She could ask me to burn the universe and I would have happily complied. Anything for her.

"Hisako, what is the name of that book her were reading?" I ask as I stroke her hair. I can feel her shake as she lets out a small laugh.

"Icha Icha Paradise. I guess there is a whole series." She leaned over me and picked up the book and began to leaf through it.

"Oh really... We should probably make the investment and get the rest of them." I smile as I kiss the top of her head. Her hair smelled like the open ocean breeze. She squirmed a bit under my arms then laughed.

"I think that would be a wise decision. Though, we should see how long it takes us to get through this one." She cuddles up closer to me.

"Hmmm, I suppose it could take a while." I lift her head from under my chin and kiss her slowly. I wished that night would never end. That I could make love to her and kiss her and only focused on each other for all of eternity.

I was fully aware that the world was indeed crumbling around us, but as long as I had the inn, Hisako, and the rest of my adoptive family, I couldn't bring myself to care. This island, these people. were a sanctuary, and I didn't ever want to give it up. Then the news first hit, that made everything spiral out of control.

Sasuke killed Orochimaru. The news was shocking. My baby cousin; bad ass enough to take on a Sannin. It was shocking. When I first found out that he had gone with the snake summoner, I was upset. I thought for sure that by joining his ranks Sasuke just signed his death certificate. I was wrong. I under estimated him just as his father had always done. He survived and I was so relieved and proud of him at the same time. That relief though slowly faded to dread as I remembered why he had joined the Snake Sannin in the first place. End game was to kill Itachi. I prayed to the gods that their paths would not meet.

More and more shinobi were making their way to the island to stay. It seemed that there was massive movement because the Akatsuki had started to actively hunt the tailed beasts. Nations were going to loose their ultimate weapons, so they sent ninja after ninja to hunt the nuke nins. While a fair amount of the shinobi came back to our inn during their return trip, many only made it one way. I hoped that they just found an alternate way home, but I had a feeling that they would never be returning.

The current state of the world made every one jumpy. We often had to break up fights between shinobi of different nations. Usually stupid drunk fights, but a few had caused a decent amount of damage to the inn and the forest around us. The only reason that the place was still standing was because of the kids. I worried constantly that they were going to be thought of as rouge, or that they would push some one the wrong way and end up in some nations bingo book. I know it seemed a bit dramatic, but I didn't want them involved in this fight.

Despite the oppressive time we made the best of it. The inn was busy, Noni and Yosh seemed happy, Yumma was always staring at some Shinobi, Goro and Koji got to throw around the occasional ninja, and I had Hisako. We really could not have asked for more.

On a warm summer day about a year and a half after Hisako and I officially started dating, I had asked Yosh to take me to town on his next trip.

"Going today actually, wanna tag along?" Yosh asked as he walked around the kitchen. I heard the rough noise of a pen dragging across paper, he must be making a list of what he needs.

"Yeah, that would work great. What time are you leaving?" I rub my hand against the back of my neck as I leaned against the counter.

"I would say a half an hour, no longer then an hour." He kept walking then abruptly stopped in front of me. "Why do you need to go into town?" I could hear him rubbing the stubble on his chin.

"Oh, well, there is just something that I have to get."

"What do you have to get?"

"I want to pick up a book for Hisako, and.." I turn my head down and grumble the last part. "get a ring."

"Waaaiiit, what?" I could feel the shock run through his body.

"Yeeeah... I have to get a book."

"No not that part, the last part. Just let me know if I heard you correctly." I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I need a ring."

"For?"

"...Hisako..."

"My, my Sui. You know that it is a tradition to ask the fathers permission first right?" I could hear him shuffle then leaned against the counter that was facing me.

"Well she doesn't have a father." I nervously run a hand through my hair.

"Really?" We stand for a few awkward moments in silence.

"Yosh, may I have Hisako's hand in marriage?

"Sure." He chirped out. Having a man as large as Yosh chirp anything out was a bit... disturbing.

"Sure?" My mouth gapes open at the casual reply. I kind of feel like I was asking if he wanted to have dumplings with dinner tonight.

"We all knew it was coming. Even before you did kid." His massive hand pats the top of my head as he chuckles.

"Though you know there really isn't a hurry, ya know."

"I know. I mean we don't have to get married right away, I just want her to know that I want her for the rest of our lives. She can make the engagement as long as she likes."

"Well congrats." He once again attempts to pat my head, I just shoo him away.

Once we get into town Yosh helps me find a jeweler, and then helps me with the ring. He described it at silver mount that is crafted to look like branches of a tree with a sapphire entwined into the the leaves. It sounded perfect, seeing how most of the time Hisako and I spent together was in the wooded areas that surrounded the inn.

The rest of the afternoon was spent locating some ridiculous spice that Yosh was curious to use, and to fill up on what was needed for the kitchen. I never really enjoyed shopping, so instead I walked after Yosh day dreaming about how I was going to ask Hisako. I wanted to plan it to happen earlier then later.

Once we get back to the island I helped Yosh take the groceries into the kitchen and put them away. Unfortunately before I could escape Goro grabbed onto me and asked if I could cover the dinning room. I really didn't want to, but he sounded horrible. I quickly took over the tables, and began to figure out what orders go where. Goro was ridiculously unorganized and the number on the ticket did not reflect the actual table numbers. It took me nearly a half an hour to sort out everything.

"Uchiha, Itachi is dead."

That's all I heard when the noise around me ceased. The grip on the tray had faltered and everything fell to the ground. The crash of the plates on the floor brought back the sound but nothing else. I just stood there, not being able to move, a weight pulling heavily in my stomach. Suddenly I feel like I am drowning. I can't get enough air.

"Sui?" A hand touches my back, but I don't move. I was panting, then realized that all the eyes in the room are directed at me. It feels as if my skin is on fire. I still can't move.

"Sui? Are you ok?" The hand grabs onto my shoulder, I can feel nails dig into my shirt from the tension in my hand. A small shake, but still I am stuck, when suddenly my legs give out and I crumple to the floor. The voices again recede from around me. I am fully hyperventilating laying on the ground. They floor is swaying under me. Then everything stops.

I slowly begin to wake up, I feel out of sort, lost, discombobulated. I let out along sigh as I run my hand over my face.

"Sui, oh thank gods you are awake." Hisako takes my hand and pulls it from my face. "You had everyone so scared." Her other hand is now on the side of my face. Her thumbs rubbing on my cheeks. I lean into her touch. "What the hell happened?"

"A panic attack," the words come out gruff as I place my hand over hers.

Itachi is gone. Sasuke killed him. He really left me.

"About what? Something triggered it?" I sigh and move my head so I am not facing her.

"I heard that some one that means a lot to me, is no longer here." I say quietly. "Shinobi gossip and all." I add knowing that she may have been confused.

"Ohh, I am so sorry." Her voice dripped with despair. Despair for me, for my best friend, for my cousin.

He is gone. He is dead. Another failure.

The first few week passed in a daze. I had not seen him for years, but it didn't stop the pain that I was feeling. I feel so much regret, anger, sadness, and disappointment that I feel as if I am going to burst. I find myself withdrawing from everyone, even Hisako.

"Ok, that's enough!" My door swings open with a slam. I knew she was coming I could feel her stormy chakra coming for a few minutes. I sigh and turn my head on my pillow to face the door.

"You need to get up. I know you are hurting, but you can't do this Sui! You can't hole yourself up in your room for weeks on end. Would they want you to do this? Stop everything?" I let out a growl and my lips move into a scowl.

"You don't know what you are talking about." I snap at her.

"Because you don't tell anyone! No one knows what is going on with you!" I can hear her walk closer to the bed. "Would they want you to pass your life away?"

"Stop it Hisako, you have no idea! No idea at all!" I stood up and take a step in her direction. This fight had the real possibility of getting out of hand.

"Then give me an idea!" She took a step forward. I sigh heavily and roughly run my hand through my hair.

"He was my best friend. I gave my sight and my life for him. It was never meant to end this way." I could feel the tremble of my jaw as I said it. The cloth that I still wore over my eyelids began to collect moisture. "Nothing from that time went as it should have. I let them down. I let him down. I am a failure." I felt her arms wrap around me, and that is when the sobs racked my body. I had yet to cry for Itachi, and now I could not stop myself.

"No you are not a failure. He would be proud. I don't know what your life was like before you got here, but you are an honorable man Sui, and that should make any one proud of you. I am proud of you, you have not failed me." She whispered in my ear tightening her arms around me. I sobbed into her shoulder, and she just held onto like she would never be able to touch me again.

Things got easier as time passed. My thoughts continued to go back to Itachi, but the pain lessened every day. I resolved myself to live for those around me, for my loved one and family. It is what Itachi would have wanted. It's what I wanted for him. I pray to the gods that his soul now knows some sort of peace.

Two months after hearing of Itachi's death I proposed. She said yes, and we made love that night. I wish that day would have lasted forever. Thought the gods tended to give and take. The day after the news spread that Kohona was flattened by the leader of the Akatsuki. It seemed they where after the nine tails, and the village fought for the kuubi container. Who came and apparently saved the lives of everyone in the village. I was shocked and horrified at the current events of the Leaf, but I couldn't help but let a small smile pull at my lips at the fact that the village fought so hard for the demon fox's vessel. The kid had it hard, and didn't deserved to be treated as he was. They had learned to accept him. If only things could have worked out the same for my clan.

Any smile that was on my face quickly fell once I thought of what happened next. The current Hokage was in a coma, and Danzo was the replacement. I could feel my heart stop at that news. Even if I knew that I would never be going back, this took away any type of hope that I could. How the hell could they have that man as a Hokage? He was a hateful shit that was sure to run everything into the ground. When I had found out I went and trained by myself, burning the forest with fire jutsu until Koji came and found me. He berate me for the fact that I never allowed him to use his fire techniques on the island any more, and that I am not allowed to use them either.

After the shock of the news wore off I pushed it to the side. There was nothing that I could do about it. I was not willing to dwell on it and tear me up even further. So I focused on the people on my life and not that of Kohona. Which was nearly impossible. All the gossip from the passing shinobi had to do with the attack and their new Hokage. It seemed that everyone was as thrilled as I was about the new appointee.

I didn't have to dwell on Danzo long though. Only a few weeks after his appointment to office, Danzo was taken out. The one that killed him was no other then my baby cousin. He knew. He must have known. There was no other reason for him to go after them man. Relief and dread filled me for Sasuke. He was on a dark path. It wouldn't be easy for him to get off. He was now a S class criminal wanted for killing and attacking all of the Kage's. I didn't know how he would be able to dig himself out of that hole. Though once again everything changed leaving me little time to think about my baby cousin.

The world seemed to have suddenly gone mad. Weird, weird, weird shit started happening.

 **Sorry if this seems rushed. I wish I could get chapters out sooner, but my computer is a douche and th buttons only work half the time. A is such a popular letter to that it makes typing a bit maddening.**

 **I apologize for the grammatical errors. I try and wish I had more time to really proof read, but alas I do not.**

 **Thank you for all who have commented, followed and faved! Hope you all are having a great day/night**


	9. Chapter 9

War it had been talked about for years, but now it was finally coming to fruition. The whispers and murmurers now were shouts and battle cries. The difference though is that instead of fighting amongst themselves, the five great nations were actually working together. People: samurai, civilian and shinobi, were saying what was coming is something that would make the past wars seem like child's play. I didn't understand what they meant, until I heard a single word pass their lips. A name, to be more precise.

Uchiha Madara.

Seriously, how much more fucked up could this world get? Really though? We have giant beast trapped in people, people who kill for eyes, people who have god like powers, beasts who come from different dimensions, ohh and now we have some ancient Uchiha coming back to take over the world. What the fuck is that? People don't come back from the dead... Well at least not hundreds of years later to run some sort of supercharged gang. The more I think bout it, the more I can't believe what is being said. It's probably some one that has had some type of morbid fascination with the Uchihas... Hopefully...

I listen but I don't engage. I don't know what to do. I can't go to war, I would not be of any use. I wouldn't be able to tell friend from foe. I do have the urge to go though, but I press it down and live as normally as possible.

"Hey, could you pass the dumplings?" Yumma asked from across the table. "Wehavegotsomethingtotalkabout." Her words were quick and I could hear the food moving in her mouth as she shoved a dumpling in.

"Wait. What?" Noni barked.

"Wehavegotsomethingtotalkabout." Yuma word vomited after she swallowed. I just sat there and smirked as I chewed my food slowly. This was probably going to be good with how nervous she sounded.

"Yuma, slow down. No one knows what you are saying." Yosh snorts. I hear the girl sigh and then swallowed thickly.

"We. Have. Got. Something. To. Talk. About." She said each word slowly and clearly. I couldn't help the when my smirk becomes a grin. This has to be good.

"Well what is it?" Noni drawled, I could hear the sake bottle hit the side of the bowl as she filled it. We sat in silence for a few moments until Goro cleared his throat.

"Well, when we went into town, we ran into a few shinobi." No, this isn't going to be amusing like I thought. I can feel my muscles tense. "Well, it seems that they are recruiting..." I slam my hand down on the table.

"No." I clench my teeth together.

"Sui, we have to." Goro said quietly next to me.

"No, you are not shinobi, this is not your war." I push my plate forward. Food doesn't sound good any more. The smell begins to make my stomach turn.

"You are wrong." I have to take a deep breath when her soft voice speaks up. No I can't let her go. None of them can go. "This is everyone's war Sui. It's not like any of the Great Wars of the past. It isn't one country trying to take over, this is the world that we are talking about. Did you know that even the Samurai are coming. There are even a few in the inn. They never get involved in ninja affairs."

"You are not ninja." I sigh. There are several hums coming out of different people.

"You made them into ninja." Noni said quietly. I turn my head in her direction and snarl. "What? You did. Now I don't want them to go either, but it's their choice. You gave them the tools to help. If they can I cannot selfishly ask them to stay." She sighed.

"They are recruiting for civilian corps, and shinobi. We'll probably be set up with the civilian. Most of that will be cooking, running errands. You know that basic." Koji argued. All I could do was take deep breaths. How? How can they be serious?

"It's fucking war! It's not those damn games that we use to play. Even if you are in civilian corps, they can still be attacked. You could die." I spat out at them.

"What if we make a difference?" Goro said in a flat voice.

"What if you don't and you die for no reason?"

"Enough Sui. We can die any day, and if we die while trying to help that is not in vein. You are not the only one that is capable of helping people. You have taught us well, and you have also taught us the responsibility that comes with the training. We cannot turn our backs. We were not ASKING, we were informing about a choice that we have made." Hisako yelled. Actually yelled. I clench my jaw.

"So you will just leave me? After you promised to marry me?" My nose began to flare as I snarled at her.

"If this war goes the wrong way, there will be world for us to share. Don't you understand? This goes far beyond us." She slammed her hand down. What else could I say? They are not going to listen to me. They'll do what they want. They'll go off and die.

"Do what you must. I can't go. It would be impossible for me to tell the difference between enemy and friendly chakra." I sigh and run my hands through my hair.

"I know. Yosh and Noni will need some one here anyways." Hisako tried to take my hand but I pull away.

"I am tired." I push my chair back and slowly walk to my room with out saying anything else.

I could not sleep that night. No matter how hard I try. It's all I wanted to do too, to escape for a while. To not think that my fiance, my brothers and my sister where going to be walking to their doom. I sigh heavily as I toss and turn. I wish that there was something that I could say to them, but each is more stubborn then the next. I should not have trained them. They would not even be thinking about going if they were not trained.

I don't know how long I lied there when I heard the door slowly open. I don't move, I have nothing to say. I can feel the bed shift near my feet as Hisako sits down. We don't talk for a while, just letting the silence blanket us.

"I am sorry that I cannot stay." She softly begins. "Sui, I am not planning on dying."

"You can't promise that though. There is a good chance that you will, that maybe all of you will." I say as I roll over to face her.

"We can try our best though." She sighs, the bed shifts some more, slowly she lies next to me, her hand caressing my cheek. My jaw begins to tick under her touch. "I don't want to fight. We are leaving in three days, and I can't have you ignoring me or angry. Can you please be pissed at us once we leave? If it is the last..."

I can't listen to he talk any more, so I press my lips to hers. She jumps at the sudden contact, but quickly is kissing me back. I kiss her with everything that I have, letting all emotions push through to her hopefully. I touch every inch of her, memorizing every single detail. All the things that I may have missed during our previous lovemaking. I wish that I had my sight so badly. I wanted to really see her, to see her face contort with pleasure, to see her looking into my eyes and to see the love on her face. We make love all night, and every chance we get for the next three days. Every moment I am alone I barter with every deity I can think of. I need them to come back, I can not live with out them. I can't live without her.

Noni, Yosh and I walk them to the ferries early in the morning of the third day. I had carried Hisako's pack, even if she was insistent that she could handle it. The walk was quite and tense. Once we reached the dock, we all stood there for a long time. I assume everyone was just staring at each other, I was focused on the hand that was intertwined with mine. I felt ever callous, every line, the smoothness of her nail beds.

"It's time." Hisako whispered. My lips purse, and I fight back the sobs that want to break through. I would not cry. I was a shinobi, and I would not let them see my emotion. They already knew how I felt. Instead I just pull her to me and press her hard to my body. I smell her hair as my head rests on her shoulder. I sigh and let my lips find hers. I know it was not appropriate, but the kiss deepens. It went by soo slowly, but too quickly. We break apart when Yosh clears his throat.

"Please come back to me, love." I pant out as my forehead rests against hers.

"I will try my best." She whispers as she pressed her lips against mine in a chaste kiss. "I love you so much Sui." I couldn't help it. My eye sockets begin to leak and tears roll past my moist blind fold.

"I love you more then life," I sigh out. She takes a deep breath then pushes away.

"We have to go." Her voice is louder, stronger. I just nod as I feel the warmth of her body leave mine. I turn to were the others are. I hug each of them. Words fail all of us, we embrace in silence. A murmur of fare wells, and good byes leave their lips. I begin to walk away, but the anger begins to build.

"You all better not die. Otherwise I will raise you up and then kill you again!" I yell towards the dock. Their foot steps stop on the bridge leading to the boat. They were still for a moment before some one snorted.

"We'll try and the same goes to you Sui." Koji yells back. I smirk, gently shake my head and then begin to walk to the inn.

It was difficult with out them there, both emotionally and physically. The inn was not set up to run on such a small staff, and the chores piled up quickly. I missed their company, and I missed their help. Lucky for us things were beginning to slowly die down as the war approached. There was a travel ban on civilians and it seemed most ninja and samurai had passed through already. Which was a blessing. I don't think that we would have been able to function with such a high demand.

Three weeks after the others had left is when we finally got news to what was happening. A few ninja's were traveling and they stopped in at the restaurant. They talked about hearing that there were shinobi who were brought back from the dead. What the fuck was up with all the zombies? Not only were these dead shinobi difficult to kill, but of course they went after the most powerful legendary shinobi. My chest restricted as they talked. The kids, well they are not exactly kids, are not ready to handle shinobi like that. They were saying the swordsmen of the mist, the Akatsuki, leaf nins and so many more were fighting for Madara. Not to mention that fucking Sasuke name was linked with him now. The thought made me sick. What the hell was he thinking?

We had not had a guest in a few days, everything around us was quite and still. It was unnerving. Something was coming, and it was close. I could feel it, I just didn't know what exactly it was. With out any guests for the past few days, we found ourselves done with chores quickly. After dinner Noni, Yosh and I had taken to sitting on the porch of the inn. None of us said anything really, we just sat to be in each others company. I really wished that I could have Hisako here, sitting next to me, reading a book... any book would do. What I wouldn't give to hear her voice, to touch her, hold her, just be able to breath the air around her.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I almost missed the movement that was happening around me. I jumped as I felt something, I don't know exactly what it was, but there were a lot of it, and it was all under ground.

"What's going on?" Yosh asked, concern wove tight in his words.

"I need you to go inside." I direct my head in the direction of the siblngs.

"Sui? Are you ok?" Noni asked softly. I know she could feel it too. She may have not have the training that the others had, but she could feel chakra.

"I will be fine, just go inside." I said sternly. I am sure they were taken aback. I was ordering them, which is something that neither of them is familiar with. They shuffled to their feet then slowly retreated. Gingerly I walked to the front lawn of the inn. There was something moving under it. The chakra was strange though, it wasn't human, and I had never felt a summon like this. There was so much of it. It was like as if a river was running beneath my feet. I furrowed my brow and just felt as it ran beneath me.

I took a deep breath then pushed hard as I flared my chakra. The moment my chakra came in contact with the foreign one beneath the ground it suddenly slowed. A knot began to form in my stomach as I felt it begin to move towards the surface slowly. What the hell was it? Suddenly I felt the vibrations of the earth shifting s some type of creature pushed up through it. There where twenty of them surrounding me. We just stood there, them I assume staring at me and me sending out my chakra and feeling the vibrations from their movements. The current of chakra resumed under me. That will make things difficult I sigh. My attention drawn to the movement and vibrations that were coming from the "river" under me.

"Far from your comrades aren't you ninja?" A warped voice came out from behind me.

"Who the fuck are you? What are you?" I snarl as I let my body shift into a defensive stance.

"Ahh, doesn't this one seem familiar?" The same voice asked, but this time it was in front of me. What is this?

"He does remind me of some one, well of a few someones." This time it was to the left. Same voice again. Clones?

"Another Uchiha huh?" My head snaps to the right of where the same voice appeared to the right.

"Another? You know Sasuke?" The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Ahhh, Sasuke, Itachi, Madara and Obito. Madara will be pleased another is alive." Obito? No, he died when I was just a child. Well fuck, they also brought up Madara, who has long been dead.

"How? How do you know them?" I growl.

"We know them well. We must be going Uchiha, We may be back after this is done." The beings, or whatever the hell they were started to recede back into the ground. Quickly my hand pulls out a kunia and fling it at one of the things. That made them cease in their escape.

"Wrong choice boy." The bodies began to come emerge from the earth again.

"Well, perhaps it is for the best. I am a bit peckish. I could use a travel snack." A chorus of chuckles surrounded me. Then quickly the attack began. This things were sloppy. They did not fight as trained fighters, mainly just throwing their bodies around. A few times they grazed me, perhaps causing some bruising maybe a minor scrape but nothing serious.

The texure of these things also off. Instead of my feet and hands hitting flesh, I found that it felt like I was hitting warm clay. Too squishy, too wet, too not human. They quickly went down, I was left with one. He was a bit of a better fighter and produced a minor challenge. Minutes pass as I fight the lone survivor when I finally land a blow to his head, snapping his neck. Well I think snapping his neck, I don't know. I still can't tell what the hell these things are.

I stand there heavily panting. These things are running to war. They are running to were Hisako, Koji, Yumma, and Gorro are. I can do something about this. I still felt the massive movement under my feet. If I can stop some... I flare my chakra once again and wait for more to emerge.

All night I baited these things to come up. Dispatching eighty seven until the river under my feet had dried. I waited for a while. My body sore and wet from the sweat that covered me. I sent out several flares of chakra, to see if I could get anything else thing else to come, I got nothing. With a deep breath I turned and began to walk to back to the inn.

"What are they?" Noni asked as she opened the door.

"I don't know. They don't feel human. What do they look like?" I ask as I let myself colapse on the stair.

"I don't know, they are like nothing that I have never seen. White, they look like clay, brown eyes, a claw like thing in their stomachs." Confusion was clear in her voice, as was some type of awe. "Sui, if those kids are half as good as you were just now, they will be fine." Her hand squeezes my shoulder. I just shake my head. Death comes no matter the skill level, all it takes is one lucky shot, one mistake. I can't dwell on it.

"We need to gather them and burn them. Before noon. We do not need to have them rotting on the front lawn." I run my hand roughly down my face. "We also need to set up some type of watch. It seems that the war may have found it's way here. I would like to be prepared." I drawl as I pull myself up.

"I'll get Yosh." She whispered as she turned back.

We gathered the bodies into a pile and I lit them ablaze with a fire ball. The smoke smelled of a mixture of damp wood and flesh, it was an odd combination that would take days to get out of my nostrils. Once we disposed of them we started sleeping in shifts in the entry way of the inn. Everything was quite, there was no more shinobi that came through and no civilians. The air was thick with tension and apprehension. Nothing could keep our minds off of what was happening.

After dinner was the only time that all three of us were awake together. We would spend the time sitting on the porch. Noni began reading out loud just to pass the time. I was grateful that she was doing something to try and break the silence. It was maddening.

Four days after the creatures attacked we were once again on the porch, the sun was going down and it was beginning to chill, Noni was reading some adventure book to us when the world began to shake. Immediately we jump to our feet and rush to the lawn.

"What is this? Earthquake? We haven't had one for centuries." Yosh asks in a hurry. I shake my head. Everything is off kilter. The world is vibrating and will not stop. I have not felt this blind in a long time. We stand and the shaking continues. In the distance loud cracks and booms fill the air. No this was not an earthquake, this was from the war. They were right. We have never seen anything of this magnitude before.

The constant shaking was making me nauseous, almost sea sick. My head hurt from trying to understand what I could "see." There was nothing that I wanted more then for the earth under my feet to still. It did finally, but every so often another rounds of violent shaking would erupt. This went on for hours. It must be the final battle, that is all I could think. If it wasn't then I don't think that the earth would survive.

Sleeping shifts had been forgotten as we stood outside. I know that the worry within all of us was wearing thin. Thankfully no one felt the need to fill the air with idle chatter. We just stood, together. After what seemed to be an eternity everything calmed for a while. Each of us listened intently for the bangs and crashes that had filled the air, but nothing came up.

"Oh! Look at the moon!" Noni yelled next to me causing me to jump. A moment later I heard Yosh gasp. I furrow my brows and turn in their direction.

"What's wrong with the moon?" I ask, I can hear them shifting next to me.

"It'ssss reeed, an blackkk." Noni slurs next to me.

"Noni, what's wrong?" I reach out for her, but she shifts away.

"Nufin, just so tired." She yawned. I finally grab her by the wrist, but she tries to pull away. I refuse to let her go.

"Yosh!" I yell once I hear massive thump. Before I could say or do anything a paper crinkling noise begins to fill the air. I try to pull Noni closer but something was pulling her away. I yell for both of them again, but nothing answered me besides that damn paper noise.

Still holding onto Noni, I try to walk to her, but I stumble on branches? No that can't be right. The border of the forest is hundreds of feet away from the inn. There was no way this many branches could be out there. I reach out with the hand that I am not holding Noni in and grab it. Immediately I let go of her and began to crawl away. Those branches, no... Maybe vines? Roots? What ever the hell they are they are moving. The root/vine things are also pulsing with, I don't really know how to explain it, raw chakra... Something one again I have never seen.

My thoughts are snapped to the side once I hear a two long sighs, and the sound of ruffling paper.

"Noni! Yosh!" I crawl over the damn roots, grasping out for them only to meet some hard husk. They are in it. I don't know how I know. I can't feel their chakra inside it, but I can feel it under me and around me. I scream for them, I try to dig at the cocoon that is covering them, but I can't get it to budge. I dig so hard at them that my finger nails tear off. I push through the pain and keep on digging. They can't leave me too. No I can't let them go. I can't be alone.

I try everything to get into those fucking things, but nothing will penetrate them. Not my hands, not rocks, not knifes, not kunia. Nothing worked. Hours pass by and I keep on trying to break it, but I can't. Eventually I fall to my knees between the cocoons, I am alone. My hand runs over the rough surface of what are Noni and Yosh's coffins. What if this is happening everywhere? What if they are all in them. What if I am the only one left? I let a shaky breath out and pound my hands into the ground. Damn it, what the hell is going on? What am I suppose to do?

I do nothing. There was nothing left for me to do. I sit between them, my elbows on my knees, my hands grasping on to my hair, waiting for... I don't know what I am waiting for. I don't think that I have ever been this clueless. I can't decide on what it is that I need to do.

Hours pass. Perhaps a day when I hear a soft ripping noise next to me. At first I just still and listen, but then I hear it again. I ungracefully crawl to Yosh's cocoon. I haste fully throw my hands on it and can feel the bindings, or paper, whatever the hell it is made of beginning to curl. I begin to rip it away layer by layer until my hand feel warm flesh under it. I grope at him trying to figure out what part I am touching. I slide my hand from his stomach to his shoulder up to his neck. I press my finger on the pulse point and breath out as I feel a normal rhythm. I let my hands move to his shoulders and begin to shake him a bit.

"Yosh! Yosh! Wake up!" I yell. A soft grunt comes from him, then his hand gently pushes me away.

"Sui? What is going on?" His voice is rough and sounds like he had been asleep for longer then he was. If he was asleep at all.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on. You and Noni... Oh shit, Yosh get up we have to get Noni!" I begin to crawl over to where her cocoon was located. I can hear what ever was covering Yosh shift as he comes out of it.

"Noni? Where is she? What's going on?" The roughness of his voice was smoothing out as it was taken over with concern and panic.

"She's over here, in this thing. Help me pull it away." I yell back at him as I begin to pull the paper off of her. This point my fingers are bleeding and throbbing again, but I can't stop. I can feel Yosh crawl next to me and begins to pull the cocoon off. We work silently for a few moment both too invested in getting Noni out. My hands once again hit flesh, and I am pretty sure that it was a breast. I may have been horrified at any other time, but I can't think about it. I find the pulse point in her neck, and nearly cry when it is just as strong as Yosh's. Before I can say anything she lets out a long moan and shifts under my hand.

"What the hell was that?" She coughs as she talks. I can't help the relieved smile that is filling my face, not the tears that are coming from my sockets.

"I don't know, but I thought you guys were dead!" I breath as I lean back and let my shoulders slump. I take a few shaky breath and explain what happened on my side. Which turned out to be much more unpleasent then what they had experienced.

"No, it was like the most perfect dream that I ever had. Every thing that I wanted, everyone that I ever wanted was there. It was almost a shame to get woken from such a thing." Noni's voice was dreamy as she recalled.

"Well I am glad that it was pleasant for the two of you. I was terrified." I huff. "Do you think this means it's over?" I ask softly.

"I don't know... I wish I did." Yosh said in an unusually soft voice.

We stay outside and listen, it was quite again. The earth stood still and there were no more noises. For a while that was. Booms and vibrations once again took over. Those continued for a few hours, and died down. That was the last of it. The final battle seemed to have happened, but we aren't sure. It was nerve racking not knowing. All we could do was wait.

Days passed and it was quite. We spent out time cleaning and fixing the inn, waiting for the next visitors. No one came though. Not even the ferries. Had we not won the war? What was happening? The uncertainty was eating me away. I tried not to snap at Yosh and Noni, but I know I was doing a piss poor job. I was hanging by a string and I felt as if my sanity was slipping. I just needed them back. I needed Hisako back. I needed to feel her chakra, I needed to touch her. I needed to know that she was alive. I needed my old life back.

After five days of the abyss, is when the ferrie came back bringing a few samurai. We flew to them asking questions at such a rapid rate, that I am sure they had verbal whip lash. They told us that the shinobi alliance won. That Madara was defeated. By no other then the kyuubi vessel, and the last Uchiha. The relieve that I felt when they said that made me erupt in laughter. I had finally lost it. I didn't know why I was laughing, but I couldn't help it. The two people that the world had turned their backs on were the one to save it. My little cousin, who I use play endless pranks on, was the worlds savior. I was crying because I was laughing so hard. Yosh had to take me to my room, and told me not to laugh at the guests. What the fuck was wrong with me?

The trickle of guests began to grow over the next few weeks. I would ask some if they had heard of any of the kids, but no one could give me an answer. I figured that it was a long shot, but I had to try. I didn't know what division that they were in, or what nation they fought along with. It was a relief to see all the shinobi, samurai, and even civilians that were apart of the war making their way back, but I was becoming frustrated. Why were they not here yet?

Two weeks after the final battle and I felt him. I was standing at the dock when finally there was a familiar chakra. I run to the ferrie. If he is here then the others must be with him. I send out my chakra and search, I search through ever one on that damn boat. It was just him. He must have just caught an early boat. The rest are coming.

I stand at the edge were the ramp off of the boat meets the dock. I rock back and forward on the balls of my feet waiting. Most of the boat empties before he slowly, so slowly makes his way off the boat. He paused on the ramp for a moment before quickly making his way to me. He grabs onto me so quickly and tightly into an embrace that I am caught off guard.

"Koji," I wheeze out. He squeezes me tighter. I feel like his grip has shattered me. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what he was telling me with this embrace. No.

"Koji?" His name comes off desperately off my tongue. His body shakes as he breaths out, he grips onto me even tighter. His hand pressed onto the back of my skull as he lets out a sob.

"I am so sorry." He whispers.

"No... No... NO!" I push roughly back. "Don't you fucking say it! Don't you fucking tell me!" I scream. He reaches out and grabs my hands. I try to pull them away but any strength I had has left me. He grabs my hand and places a chain with a tag on it. "Koji, no." I am desperate. This piece of metal is nothing if he doesn't say it.

"Sui. Oh gods Sui. I am sorry." I take a breath and try to calm myself. I need to know. I can't break until I know.

"Everyone?" I whisper. We pause, the air between us thick, once again her embraces me. Oh gods no. I suddenly feel as if I am dying. My legs give out from underneath me and I wail as I sit there. The sounds coming from me do not resemble a man but rather a wounded animal. My soul has been ripped from me.

I can barely feel Koji's arms around me as we both sob and rock together. Our siblings, my lover, are not coming home. I am drowning in a sea of emotion. I don't know if I will ever be able to breath again.

 **Wow the bringing this story up to the 700 took a bit longer then I thought. I kinda feel like it is a bit rushed, even with going three chapters over in this section. We will have familiar faces in the next chapter! Thanks for everything!**


	10. Chapter 10

Who ever said that the pain of loosing loved ones would get better is a fucking liar. Every day I wake up and for a few moments I am ok. Then I remember, I remember that she will not be here. That I will not see her, touch her, hold her. That's when the pain in my chest begins. It has been a year, and everyday is the same. I don't even feel alive. Once I become accustom to the pain, everything begins to numb. I push myself to get through the day, my movement are robotic, everything that I do is based on muscle memories. Koji has called me the walking dead, and I have to agree with him.

"Sui, man you need to stop it. You can't keep torturing yourself. Hisako, she would not want this for you." Koji sits down next to me on the hill looking over the dock. I grimace, he should not be here. This was our space. This is the hill that we sat on every night. This is the hill that I sit on by myself every night.

"You should not be here Koji." I growl at him. He snorts at me and shifts next to me.

"No, you should not be here. You are not a ghost, but that is what you are acting like. She died not you."

"Oh, thank you for clarifying that Koji, I was not aware of that." I snap. I might as well have died. Loosing Hisako was the last straw, there is only so much a man can loose before madness takes over. He just sits still and sighs. What does he want from me? What do they all want from me? To forget? To forgive? I could not do either. I was still hurting and I was still fucking pissed. She chose death over me.

"I was planning on going into town tomorrow. You want to come with?" Koji asks breaking the strained silence that had fell between us. I just shake my head knowing the boy was watching me like a hawk. Another long sigh comes from him. "Okay, if you change your mind let me know." A strong breeze pushes past us, blowing my hair in all directions. "There is a storm coming, don't let yourself get caught up." He stands and stills for a moment before finally walking away. I am grateful. I just want to be alone.

I have contemplated ending it all. So many times I thought about taking my life. Sometimes I don't know what stops me. No, that is a lie. I know what stops me, actually there are two things. The first was the promise I made to Yosh all those years ago. That I would not try again. They may be gone, but Noni, Yosh and Koji are here and also reeling from the loss. I could not do that to them, having to place another headstone in the forest. How much would they hate me if I made them do that? Then there is the fact that i didn't know what happened after death. If there was a place where all the other souls went. How angry would Hisako be if I met her there through actions of my own hand? She died saving people, how much shame would my suicide bring to her? This time it would be senseless, no reason besides ending my own suffering.

The more I thought about it the more guilt began to pool in my stomach. Dear gods, how much pain must I have cause the rest of them? I know that it had to be hard to be around me. I have been so caught up in my grief and pain, I selfishly never though about them. I shake my head and let it fall into my hands. How could I be so stupid? Noni, she lost most of her kids. She may have hated when we said she was like a mother, but that is what she was. A gruff, cursing mother, but also so kind and loving. Yosh was the same. How could I not see past myself? I suddenly felt very ashamed.

The loud crack of thunder brought myself out of my thoughts. The storm was coming faster then I anticipated, or perhaps I have been sitting here for longer. That was a good possibility. Stiffly I rose and slowly walked back to the inn. I knew that there was nothing that I could do about making the past better, but I knew I needed to try. I owed it to them. I owed it to everyone who is no longer with me. I needed to start living again.

So saying that I would start living again was much easier said then done. I still felt as if I was being pulled down into a black pit. The difference now was that I was fighting. I was fighting tooth and nail to get out. Fake it till you make it, was pretty much my motto for a while. I would force myself to smile, to laugh, to talk. Slowly they became genuine. Each day it was like a little of the weight that was on me was chipped away. Was I happy? Not exactly, but I was able to find happy moments. Though when the night rolled in I always remembered that I was alone.

"Seriously how do we always get the roosters with an attitude?" I yell out at I slam the chicken coop. I stand there for a moment glaring at where I thought the bastard bird was. "I can't wait to butcher you, you asshole." I throw the empty feed bucket down. Really, it had to attack me while I was fucking feeding it? Every rooster we ever had seemed to have some type of vendetta against me. This one, well he was really quick, he was actually able to slice his talon across my calf. A rough laugh from behind me made me jump.

"Chickens causing you to let down your guard huh?" Noni laughed. "Seriously what do you do to piss them off so much?" I just snort and shrug.

"I do nothing besides feed and water them, but they apparently do not think I am not adequate." I reach down and search for the pale that I threw. Once my fingers feel the smooth metal I quickly pick it up with a huff. I turn to go barn when I am stopped by a small hand on my shoulder.

"Shisui, it's nice to have you back." Noni said softly. I turn my head and cock it in her direction. A small sigh comes from her. "I know that loosing them was hard on you. You really had all of us worried for a while. It's nice to see emotion from you, even if it is getting pissed at the chickens." She squeezed my shoulder lightly.

"I have not told anyone this in ages, but I was married. I was young, everyone thought that we were too young. Everyone besides my parents. They loved him, the moment they met he became a part of the family. He worked here with us at the inn. It was amazing. That was until he went with my parents on the fishing boat. The boat was taken over by robbers, we assume. Anyways all three of them were found on the bank two weeks after they took off. My world stopped. I know how it is. The only thing that brought me back was when I happened upon Goro. Then the other kids. They gave me a second chance at life. They gave me meaning. I know that you didn't see, but I was shut down there for a while also... I mean I wasn't always such a bitch." She laughed, as I grimaced. I roughly ran my hand over my face. Selfish. I had been so selfish in my grief.

"I am sorry." Those are the only words that I can come up with. She just pats my shoulder and walks away.

Two years. It had been two years since they died. I am living. I no longer just numbly go through my days. I take notice of the people around me... Hell I actually interact with people around me. I use words instead of grunts and hn's. Though every day I can feel the ache in my heart from them, but I am getting used to it. I don't think that the pain will ever stop, but I am not sure that I want it to. I mean it lets me know that they were real, that they meant something to me.

As I approached the two year mark, I was having a difficult time sleeping. Every night, I remember the last day that I had with her. The promise that she refused to make about coming home. She didn't want to make promises that she could not keep. I understand, but I wish that I could hear the words come from her mouth once. I wake up every time I feel her leave my embrace. I avoid sleep at all costs. I can't keep saying goodbye each night, multiple times a night.

A week has passed since the second anniversary of their deaths, and I was still having problems sleeping. I would often find myself wandering through the inn, or through the woods. It was honestly a relief, these midnight walks. It was the only time that I could let go of my emotional guards. I have been trying to be happier while Noni, Yosh, and Koji are around. So while every one else slept I could just drop the act. I could let my mind run blank, get pissy, or grieve without anyone around. Well that was until the night that I met her.

Another night had me up and walking the island, the night was crisp with a slight breeze. It was refreshing to feel on my skin after having such a warm spring. I was enjoying the sensation so much that I almost walked right past the foreign chakra that was in an open field in the woods. My stride slowed as I felt it. Who the hell was out here so late? I stilled as I analyzed it. No this was not a guest from the inn, nor had I felt it in town. It was light and airy and powerful all at the same time. They had to be a ninja, no civilian I had ever met had a chakra signature like that. I try and think if we did have any shinobi in the inn, but I was positive that we didn't at the time. In fact the amount of ninjas that passed through had drastically gone down since the war. Since the peace between the nations began. Why was this one here?

I concealed my chakra as I slowly made my way near the field. They didn't seem to be moving too much at all. It almost seemed like they were looking for something. I swallowed thickly. I didn't know if Koji had been practicing in this field. Perhaps they were looking for proof of ninja. There had been rumors that since the nations were no longer engaged in conflict with each other their attention had turned to nukenin. While technically Koji was not a nuke, he could be thought of a one, since he did not pledge his loyalty to any of the lands. With him being so powerful, a dynomo or kage would want him for their military. I was not going to let that happen. He had lost too much in aiding countries that never did anything for him. I could not loose him also.

My thoughts were broken when I noticed that I no longer felt the light airy chakra anymore. Now I felt something dark, stormy, oppressive. All I could think is that they had found something. They knew that there are ninjas here. They would not be leaving this island. I was going to make sure of that. I approached the stranger quickly and silently. They had no clue that I was there. I was getting excited thinking about the battle that was going to happen. It had been a long time since I had a challenging fight, and why not have a bit of fun before I dispose of them?

I keep to the tree line when I pull a kunia out of my pocket. I take my time to learn were thier position was. When I was satisfied that I had pinpointed them I whipped my blade so it landed right next to them as I let my chakra flare. They would know I was coming. I smirk as I hear the gasp that comes from them. They lower themselves into a defensive stance. I casually walk out into the clearing.

"You have come to the wrong island ninja." I drawl as I take a step forward. They do not reply to me, instead just snort and let their chakra flare. Ohh this was going to be interesting. It had indeed been a long time since I felt anyone so strong, and the killing intent was just as rolling off of them. I should be weary, anyone sane would, but I guess it had been a long time since my mind would be thought of as healthy.

"I am going to give you this chance to clear out, and forget about this place. Otherwise I will have to take you out." I pull another kunai and place myself in a defensive stance. I get another response that is surprising. There was a light giggle. My muscles tense at the noise. It sounded like _her_. That wasn't possible was it? Could she be alive? Could Koji been wrong. The shock that runs through my body had me lowering my weapon. The girl took advantage of my distraction and sent a senbon aimed at my throat. I regained composure just in time to hear the weapon whistling for me. I dodge the attack at the last moment. No. There is no way that this was Hisako. There was no way she would attack me, and with a senbon no less. I snort at my apponet and body flicker infront of them. I land a quick jab at her side, but she moves quickly and comes after me with a series of kicks and fists.

We had been fighting for nearly a half an hour, and no words were exchanged. I was right about her she was formidable. She had blocked as many hits as I have, and I had been able to land as many as she did. I was growing frustrated at the pace of the fight. I leap back and start the signs for a fire ball. I really wanted to use Koji's jutsu, but I didn't want to burn down the island. I don't think Noni would appreciate that.

She darts the fire ball and I hear a loud sigh come from her. I don't let her catch her breath and send out a fire phoenix. That one hits her I can hear her hiss and the smell of skin being burnt. Her chakra darkens even more and the killing intent was far stronger then any I had experienced lately.

"ENOUGH!" The woman yelled then suddenly the ground was trembling violently under me. I was blind. I could not see with vibrations and seeing with chakra was disorienting since it kept falling into cracks of the earth. My senses were so overwhelmed with the strong movement that I couldn't even try and track her chakra I blindly blow another fireball, and just hope it hits my target. There was a laugh to my left, nope didn't hit her, just actually blew it in the wrong direction. Then the earth once again shifted under my feet. What the hell was this? I have fought earth types and while the vibrations became stronger when they released a jutsu, it was never like this. I wait for the earth to still and attempt to find the girls chakra signature. Smart girl, seemed like she masked it. I then notice that the air around me became thick with moisture. This I could use to my advantage. Instead of letting my chakra crawl through the ground instead I infuse the mist with it. Immediately I was able to find her. I flicker behind her and grab her hair, I hold a Kunai to her kidney.

"Well it was fun while it lasted sweetie." I whisper into her ear. She just grunts as she grasps the hand that it holding her hair. Just as I am about to sink my blade into her she squeezes my hand. No not squeezes, she crushes me hand. I could feel the bones shatter and I drop my kunai out of shock.I groan as she squeezes even tighter causing the bones to crack and snap even more. She turns quickly and sweeps a leg behind mine causing my to fall hard on my back. Before I could even move her hips are straddling me, my hands caught under her knees, and I can feel something sharp against my neck.

"I take no pleasure in death." The woman hissed at me. I couldn't help the laugh that erupts from me. She doesn't take pleasure from death, well her chakra certainly says different. "So I have you pinned and you find that humorous? You are an odd ninja. Who are you?" I just snort at her and she pushes he blade harder into my neck. "Why did you attack me?" Even if I wanted to answer the pressure she put on my throat really did make it impossible. I raise my brow to her. This was not how I thought this fight would turn. She lets out a drawn out sigh then I feel a hand grab the bandage around my eyes and then pulls it off roughly. I feel the air move as she sharply takes an intake of breath.

"You have no eyes. How is that possible?" The shock of what she uncovered caused her body to relax, I took full advantage of her distraction. Quickly I push her off and flicker away a few feet. To be honest I am unsure of what to do. She had plenty of time to kill me, but she didn't.

"Who are you?" I cough out. My voice rough from the pressure that she applied. I hear a light laugh, then I notice that the stormy chakra began to recede. Slowly it was becoming light and airy. The change causes my brows to furrow.

"Why should I answer your questions? After all you are the one that attacked me." I wish I could roll my eyes. I just snort at her.

"Well honey, I was not the one that had killing intent rolling off of me. That while being a intruder on private property. This is my land little ninja." I take a step forward, and prepare for her to strike.

"What killing intent?" Her voice was filled with confusion. "Ohhhh... No... There was no killing intent. I was just thinkin about something." Her voice was sheepish I hear the grass crunch as she shuffled her feet.

"Thinking? Thinking changes your chakra that much. I am sorry sweetie, but I am having a hard time believing that." The only time when chakras got that dark was when some one was thinking about killing.

"No, I really wasn't. I mean yeah I got pissed, and I may have thought that I wanted to punch my friend. I mean really is it that hard to return a dish in a proper amount of time. She has no consideration, and I use that casserole a lot." She huffed. Her chakra becoming stormy once again, but quickly dissipating

"Anyways, I tend to have a short temper." She took a deep breath. I know that I am now just standing there with a dumb expression on my face. A casserole? This was about a casserole? I just shake my head. She's telling the truth, I can feel the embarrassment coming off of her.

"What are you doing out here. I know that you are not a guest of the inn. I would have recognized your chakra." I ask as I run my hand roughly through my hair.

"Oh, no I have not checked in yet. There is this flower that only blooms at night. It has amazing medical propertied to it. It's pretty rare and only grows in a few placed, and this island is one of them. I talked to the inn keeper, Noni, and she said that it wouldn't be an issue." I could hear her moving around gathering something around her. Great. I just attacked a guest. My hand met my face as I slowly drug my fingers down.

"Oh gods, I am sorry. Noni didn't tell me we were receiving any guests this late. Oh shit, I am sorry." I shake my head and smirk, I can feel the blood and warmth fill my cheeks.

"It's fine, but I am glad we figured this out before one of us killed the other." She laughed. There was a moment of awkward silence that passes. "Well I don't think that i'll be finding any of the flowers now. I mean we kinda decimated this field." She sighed. "Guess I should probably get checked in."

"I am sorry, " I grimace and shift uncomfortably. "Hey, do you know where my blind fold went?" I ask as I touch my eyes. I hear her say "Oh," then made her way to me and placed the fabric in my hands. I nod as I pull it over my eyes, grateful that the knot was still intact. I could feel her eyes on me. "Well, do you want to follow me to the inn?"

"Yes, that would be great. I am sorry about the whole fight.. Ummm. Jeeze, we didn't even introduce ourselves. My name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura from Kohona." She reached out and gabs my hand I hiss at her touch and quickly withdraw. "Shit! I forgot that I did that. Here, I can heal it." She roughly grabs my hand and pulls it to her. I grit my teeth as the pain radiates up my arm. There is suddenly a cool numbing sensation that goes into my hand, it was an odd feeling having my bones realign and knit back together.

"Sui." I grunt out

"Hmmm?"

"My name it's Sui." She lets go of my hand, and I flex it. It was completely healed. My brow raises as I note the absence of any pain. I have been healed before, but never so thoroughly.

"No last name?"

"No, just Sui. Family issues." I smirk at her.

"Oh I am sorry." I can hear the frown in her voice.

"It happened long ago, no need to be sorry. This way." I nod my head in the direction of the inn. She grunts then begins to follow after me. The walk was quite, but not uncomfortable. Then it suddenly hits me. She said she was from home. "So you are from Kohona?" I ask nonchalantly.

"Yep. I am a hidden leaf shinobi." She jogs a bit so she it walking right next to me. "Where are you from? I mean are you a retired ninja? I mean I never met a civilian that can fight like that. Not to mention some one that is blind. How can you fight blind? Have you ever had eyes? How is it even possible. Can I have a look at your eyes." She talked fast. Way too fast. And asked way too many questions. It was like the girl had no filter.

"Ummmm." I turned my head in the direction of her voice. I didn't want to answer her questions, actually all I wanted to do was to get away from her.

"Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean to pry. But you are actually quite impressive, and I can't stop myself when something strikes my curiosity. I mean who would ever run into a blind ninja." She nervously laughed.

"Hn." I didn't quite know what to say to the girl. I mean just a half an hour ago we were at each others throats. Now she wants to know everything about me. Well that was not going to happen. Especially since she was from the leaf.

"You know you remind me of some one." She sing songed next to me.

"Yeah, and who is that?" I quirk a brow at her.

"Just some one that I have known for a long time. But seriously are you going to answer any of my questions? " No I am not going to. I quicken my pace.

"Looks like we are home. I'll go fetch Noni, and she will get you checked in. It was nice to meet you Haruno Sakura." I open the door to the lobby and nod my head.

"Thank you Sui, hopefully we can talk again?" She asked as she slowly...really she was walking too slow... past me.

"Perhaps," I say as I walk in after her. No, I do not want to talk to this girl again. I pray that her stay is short.

I quickly walk to Noni's room and let her know that Sakura was waiting to check in. I quietly return to my room. I sigh as I close the door. I am going to have to lie low to avoid the girl. I am pretty sure that there is no way she would be able to connect me to Kohona, not after all this time. I can't risk it though. I flop down in my bed, and fight to go to sleep.

Morning came too fast and too slow at the same time. I could barely sleep, and then the moment that I do find sleep, only a second after I drift, it's time to get up. I groan as I roll over and pull myself up. I stiffly stand up and slowly dress for the day. I walk down to the kitchen in a fog. This fucking insomnia was kicking my ass. I plop down on a chair, letting my head rest in my hands. There was a clank of a dish in front of me, as a large hand pats my back.

"Rough night?" Yosh asks as he takes the seat next to me. I just grunt as I begin to eat the broiled fish and rice. "Maybe you should look into getting some medicinal tea for sleep. You know there is a shinobi who is a medic here, maybe you shoul..."

"NO." I say with far too much force. I clear my throat as I put my chopsticks down. "I mean I don't want to take advantage of a guest. Next time we go into town I will ask the apothecary shop for a blend." I shrug then begin to eat again. There was a sharp squeal of a chair being dragged against the floor.

"Morning kid." Noni said in a gruff sleep laden voice. Koji's morning greeting came shortly after. We ate for a while in a comfortable silence. None of us were much of morning people. No, the ones that were are no longer with us.

"Sui, Koji is going to take your chores today." Noni said as she took the empty dish in front of me. Koji coughed and my brow shot up. "You will be giving a guest a tour of the island. That shinobi that came in yesterday." Now was my turn to cough.

"I think that Koji would be better at giving her a tour. I can do his chores." I drum my fingers on the table, trying to hide my annoyance.

"I can give a tour." Koji perked up.

"No can do, she asked for you. Seems you made an impression on her." I sigh as I let my head slam on the table.

"Wait, a girl was asking for Sui? What does she look like?" Koji asks as he pats the top of my head. To turn my face towards him and scowl.

"What does it matter?" I growl at him.

"Well if she it hot..."

"I am not interested in getting with anyone." I scrunched my nose at him and shake my head.

"No one is getting together with anyone. Koji, you will do Sui's chores for today. Sui you will be meeting with the ninja in twenty minutes in the dinning hall." Noni growled at us. I just sigh and sit back in my chair. This was fucking great. Amazing actually. The only person on this island that I would chew my leg off to stay away from, and now I was stuck with her all day.

I slowly sip my tea. I figure that I can put her off if I show to her table late. Unfortunately Noni didn't allow me to be terribly late. She forced my into the dinning room fifteen minutes after I was told to meet with Sakura. I take a deep breath and search for her chakra, once I find her table and take a seat next to her.

"I apologize for being late." I grumble next to her.

"Ohh believe me, that is nothing. My team leader, he has made us wait for four hours. So fifteen minutes is basically on time to me." She laughed. I can hear he chopsticks hitting her plate. "And I am not done eating. I apologize also. If you could give me five minutes to finish up." I just nod at her and lean back in my seat. We sit there in a tense silence for a few moments while she ate. I was not interested in being nice, hopefully she would stop trying to pry into my life. "Not a morning person?" She asked sweetly.

"No." I huff out.

"So you only flirt when you fight?" I could hear the smirk in her words. I raise my brow and turn my head towards her.

"Excuse me?" I ask as I scratch the back of my neck.

"Well you did use a lot of pet names during the fight. After we figured out the issues, you stopped. So I was wondering if you only reserved flirting for fighting." A soft slurp came from her as she drank her tea. Before I could answer Koji pulled the seat next to me and sat down.

"Sui? Flirt? Did I hear you correctly?" Koji laughed. I turn my head and scowl at him. Sakura just let out a soft laugh.

"Well I am not sure. But your friend did call me sweetie and honey a few times last night." Koji coughs in shock.

"Really?" Koji asks. I can feel his gaze on me. I just grunt and sink in my seat. "Wow Sui, it's been a while since I have heard you call anyone that." I grimace at his light tone. "I am sorry I have been rude. I am Koji, Sui's brother. It is nice to meet you."

"Wow, brother's huh I would have never put you two as brother... Oh I am sorry. I am Sakura. It is nice to meet you Koji-san." I can hear the wood creak in the chairs as the lean in to shake each others hands.

"Just Koji is fine. We aren't really into honorifics here. And that lump there isn't my biological brother. Adopted. Glad I don't share the same DNA with him." Koji laughs. I just shake my head.

"You would be lucky to share DNA." I growl. "Are you ready to go?"

"Umm yeah sure. Let me just run to my room and get my pack. I'll met you by the lobby exit?" She asks as she stands up. I nod my head in her direction and listen as her foot steps grow softer as she walks away from me.

"She looks familiar." Koji mumbled next to me. I just shrug as I stand up.

"I wouldn't know." I begin to walk away.

"She is hot. Just thought you want to know." Koji laughs.

"I don't know if I trust your version of hot. Not that it really matters. I am not interested." I turn and head to the lobby. I frown as I wait for her. Why was Koji trying to push this girl on me? I had no interest at all in any other women. No the one that claimed me may be gone, but her brand is still on my heart.

"Good to go?" Sakura chirps as she skips down the stairs. I nod as I shove my hands into my pockets and walk out to the front lawn. "Ok well first thing that I am looking for are open fields that do not have alot of foot traffic. There should be several herbs that I am looking for in and area like that. Then I will need an area, if it is possible, that has a small water source. Like a pond or a stream." I grunt and begin to walk to a small open field on the north side of the island. She follows after me quietly. We walk for a while with out any words exchanged. It was a bit awkward, but it's better then her prying. I was thankful for the silence.

"You're kinda quite." Well good things never seem to last, do they?

"Hn." She laughs at my answer, I just turn my head and raise my brow at her.

"Yeah, just like him." She murmurs. I just shake my head and keep on walking.

"Here we are." I nod in the direction of the field.

"So we are." Her voice was warm, she quickly moves into the field and begins to search for her herbs. I sigh and lean against a tree waiting for her to conclude her search, but I have a feeling that it she will be crawling on the ground for a while. I slide down the tree and take a seat letting a long yawn out. I rest the back of my head against the tree. Perhaps this isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe I would be able to catch up on some sleep. "So you never answered and of my questions from last night." Or not. I just let out a sigh and lift my chin to point to the sky.

"What questions are those?" I drawl. I knew I was going to have to tell the girl something, she didn't seem to be the type to back off.

"Well are you a shinobi?" Her voice was muffled, she must be facing away from me.

"No I am not a shinobi. I work at the inn." I reply in a board tone.

"Oh, well how did you learn how to fight like one?" Her voice became clearer. I know that she is now looking at me. I bite the inside of my lip.

"Why are you so curious?" I turn my head so I crack my neck.

"Yeah I am curious! I mean how often do you come across a blind ninja. I mean it really should not be possible." She walked over to me and stood in front of me. "Do you mind if I look at your eyes." Well I have to give it to the girl. She is distracted easy.

"I don't have any eyes."I snort at her.

"Well can I look at your eye sockets?" I sigh. What could it hurt. I take off my blind fold as she sit in front of me. I feel her place her small hands on my temple. Her chakra slowly invaded my sockets. I suppose it could be called soothing, but it also made me feel like I had to sneeze. It was nothing like the burning sensation that Hisako's chakra was. I take a deep breath at the thought.

"Hmmmmm, the eyes were taken out pretty cleanly. Did you have some type of blood limit?" She asked casually, I fought to keep my body from tensing. She got too close there.

"No. I did not have a blood limit. Just came across some one who liked to fuck with people." I reach up and pull her hands away. "Is that all you wanted to look at?" She hummed at me then began to scour the field for her herbs. What am I going to do about this nosey ninja... I had no clue, besides keep pushing her away.

 **Sorry that things are later then normal. We had a family issue. Actually a family memeber committed suicide. I usually am not too into PSA's, but I am going to give you all one. Please if you are feeling desperate, and don't think there is any way out, know that there is someone you can go to. Whether it is family, friends, or a hot line. Please talk to some one. You are important to some one, and it will tear their lives apart to loose you. I really am not a person of many words, but I hope that you will think about what I wrote. My house hold has been turned upside down.**

 **On a much lighter note thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and faves. I am hoping to message later, but if I don't get to you please forgive me. I hope you all are having a good week!**


	11. Chapter 11

Life, life is complicated. That much I have learned over my years. As I grew older I learned to cut out the complications and learned to enjoy the simple things in life. I enjoyed helping run the inn, taking fishing trips with Noni, going to the market with Yosh, and tending the animals with Koji. Sure it was not exciting, but it was simple and I enjoyed it. Then complications came. Complications by the name of Haruno Sakura.

She was only suppose to be on the island for three days, well it has been five and there is no sign that this woman will be leaving anytime soon. The most irritating part is that she has a fascination with me. She asks that I be her guide to the fields to find her herbs, her guide in town, and over all her chatting partner. I try and not talk to her, but for some reason that only makes her talk more. I don't understand it. Who would really want to spend time with some one who is cold and aloof as I am acting to her? That is not normal. She asks too many questions. She asks of my past, of my fighting style, what likes and dislikes. I kinda feel like I am being interrogated. Which I figure is not completely off the table, she may think me to be some nukenin. Which I know technically I am, but not one worth any time fretting over. Nothing I do will get this woman to just leave me alone.

I woke to a knocking on my door, I just groan and turn over. I am not getting up, there is no way. I was out late last night gathering herbs that bloom only at night with Sakura, and then couldn't sleep. No, I am just going to lay here and ignore the knocking on my door, hoping that who ever is out there gets the picture.

Knock, knock, knock.

Seriously? Go away!

Knock, knock, knock.

I pull my blankets and place my pillow over my head. No, I will not be getting up. I still myself and think about sending my chakra out to see who is there, but frankly I am tired and I don't really care who it is. The air stills and silence blankets my room. I sigh out as I begin to let myself drift into slumber.

"Oh my gods!" A shrill cry erupts from next to me causing me to throw off my blanket cocoon and pillow. I sit up quickly as I grab the kunai from the bed stand.

"What! What is going on?" My chakra flairs as I tumble from the bed, but quickly right myself into a defensive stance. My heart is racing and my breaths start to come out in pants.

"You ARE a pervert!" Sakura screeched next to me. I turn my head to the sound of her voice, my brows furrowing as I try and calm myself.

"What the hell are you talking about? And what are you doing in my room?" I raise my voice as I slowly stand straight, my hand tightening around the kunai in my grip.

"You have EVERY single copy of Icha Icha, even the bonus ones! How do you even read them?" I can hear he walk over to the book shelf. "A blind man with a porn addiction. You, Sui, make no sense." She laughs. I just stand and scowl at her. When I hear the gentle rubbing on the book covers against each other, I rush over and place myself between the woman and my literature.

"DON"T." I growl out as my hip pushes her hand away. "Don't touch those."

"OKay, okay, a bit protective of your porn." I can hear the sarcasm in her voice and it makes me want to just pick her up and throw her out of my room. She has no right to be rummaging through our belongings. No, they are now just my belongings.

"What do you want Sakura?" I turn my head away from her. I know the fury that I am feeling will plainly be on my face. I don't need to deal with her reaction to it.

"Ah, well you see, I was wondering of you would like to spar?" She asks sheepishly. "Koji asked me if I wanted to, and I said yes. What I forgot was I had a team mate that was passing through and was told to stop by and pick up some things from me, and to take a day or two and rest. Well he showed up right after I said yes to Koji, and he wants to spar also. So Koji told me to run up and get you so we have even teams." I could hear her feel shuffle and her hands brushing against her cloths. She was fidgeting, something was making her nervous.

"Your team is on this island?" I breath out. Great. Just great. That is all I need right now, more leaf shinobi crawling around. Hell I'll probably get really lucky and it will be some one that recognizes me.

"Well yeah.. Just one teammate. I dunno where the others are." I can hear he scratch her head then begin to run her hands through her hair. "He's really great. Though he can be kinda weird." She laughed a bit. "Well, all of my teammates are kinda weird. I wonder if I am also." Yes, yes you are. I think as I turn my head back to her direction. I wonder if she is looking for me to confirm or deny the statement. I just stay silent.

"So do you want to?" Her voice suddenly becomes so sweet that I could swear that she has honey dripping off of her tongue. I shift my weight on my feet and scowl at her. I know that if I tell her no, that Koji will just be rushing in here to get me to go. I guess it has been a long while since I last spared.

"Yeah, I'll go." I said with a long sigh. "Give me like fifteen minutes to get dressed."

"Oh, Oooohhh." Sakura drawled. It seems she just noticed I was standing there with only shorts on. That had me inwardly flinch and I suddenly became very self conscious.

"So you going to let me get dressed or do you want a show?" I smirk at her. Then I mentally slap myself. Am I flirting? I need to not do that, I don't need her to like me. Actually I need her to stay far away.

"Perv!" She huffs and stomps out of my room. I just keep my head in her direction and raise my brow. Perhaps I have been going about this in the wrong manner? Perhaps she likes cold and aloof assholes? Say something sexy she runs. I smile to myself. Well at least this tactic may be a bit more entertaining then my last. I quickly dress myself and make my way into the kitchen Of course Yosh in in his natural habitat. I pull an apple from the fridge and begin to eat it.

"Here to help prep?" Yosh asks as he begins to chop something. It's a sound that I have really learned to love. The sound of his blades hitting the wood.

"Unfortunately not, seem our esteemed guest has requested a spar, so Koji and I are taking her to the woods." I grimace before taking another bite of the fruit.

"What do you have against her? You know, anyone else would love to get out of their chores and lead a nice woman like her around." He sighs and moves some metal bowls around. Loud clinks fill the air.

"It's not that I have anything against her, I just want my life to go back to what it was." I move and place my core in to the scrap bucket.

"So eager to get attacked by roosters are we?" He chuckles and I just scowl in his direction. "She is a really sweet girl you know."

"Yeah? So?" I shake my head slowly.

"Nothing just saying she is a really sweet girl. It may be good for you to be around her." I purse my lips and scrunch my nose. I know where this conversation is going and I am not willing to talk about it.

"Sweet girls, as you say, do not break into peoples rooms and scream that they are perverts. I'll do what she needs, but I have no interest in making friends." Before he can reply I walk out of the kitchen to find Koji and that "sweet" girl. I find them in the dinning room. I hear Sakura laughing, a laugh that sends me on edge. I hate the fact that she sounds so much like Hisako. I wish she would stop.

"We are so glad you could grace us with your presence, my dear brother." I snort as Koji walks up to me and pats me on my back. "Ready to kick some ass?" I can hear the smile in his voice. He is excited I know. We haven't had much time to spar lately. We are short handed and there isn't much free time. I respond to him with a grunt and direct my face in the direction of Sakura. There is another person there. I can feel his chakra, and it feels like a shinobi.

"You guys don't even know what you are up against." Sakura's voice is filled with amusement.

"Ugly, this is the one that you got to spar against us?" Wait? What? Who is this guy calling ugly? I hear Sakura sigh and her feet shift a bit.

"Gods Sai, when are you going to stop with the nick name?" She snaps. "And yes, this is the guy who is going to spar against us."

"Have a problem with him specter?" Koji growls next to me. That actually shocks me that he is standing up. I mean yeah we are like brothers, but I can't think of a time when he ever did stand up for me. It was an odd feeling.

"I have nothing against him personally. Though I do not understand how he can properly partake in our spar. He seems to be at a disadvantage." His voice was pleasant, and that just made me grit my teeth.

"I assure you that there is less of a disadvantage then you believe." I smile and move my head to the direction of the voice. I really wanted to pummel this kid into next week.

"Hmmm, we will see." The boys voice said in that same pleasant tone, my eyebrow begins to twitch. I just plastered a grin on my face.

"Well, it seems we have not introduced ourselves. My name is Sui." I say in a sickly sweet voice and offer my hand. I prompt an introduction to see if his name is familiar. He sounded around the same age, but voices can be deceiving. He grasps my hand in a firm shake.

"Sai." He shakes my hand and then quickly lets go.

"No surname?" I cock my head. At least the first name didn't sound familiar.

"No, I do not have a surname, but I could give you the number that Root I once used." My stomach twisted so fast that I could feel the bile rise in my throat. I try to mask the unease that I feel, but I am not sure. That was one organization that I was hoping to never hear from.

"Root?" Koji asks hesitantly, as I am still too shocked to move or talk. I wonder if he can tell the unease that I feel.

"Oh it is a disbanded organization from our village." Sakura said cheerfully. It was dis banned. I can finally take a breath. Even if this guy was in it, he probably did not have anything to do with Danzo's attack on me. Thought I can not be sure.

"So are we going to spar?" My voice was strained as I turned and walked out of the inn. I needed to get myself together and fast. Fighting seemed like the best option. I could really use this spar now. They followed me quietly to the the clearing in the middle of the forest. It seems that my sudden mood swing has made everyone uncomfortable. Which is fine as long as there are no questions about it. Turning to face them I wait for some one to bring up the rules.

"Ok, well we do not use large jutsus on the island. Nothing too destructive unless you want to be skinned alive by Noni. So try and stick mainly to tiajustsu or weapons." Koji says as he begins to mess with his thigh pouch, the soft clanks of kunai fill the air.

"No earth cracking." I say sternly. While I was actually interested in figuring out how to fight something like that, it would not do well if she destroyed our training fields.

"No problem." Sakura laughs. "So Sai and me against you two? Or do you want to switch up on the teams?"

"I am with Sui. It's bee a while since we fought on the same side." I could hear the smirk in his words. Actually it was very rare that we ever fought together. Even when the others were around... I shake my head. It does no good to dwell in the past, especially right before a spar

"Shall we begin?" Before Sai could even finish the question I flicker to the other side of the opening deep with in the woods. I still myself and send out my chakra to see what their first move will be. I furrow my brow. It seems that both are in the same place and have not moved at all. I can feel Koji coming up on me.

"What are they doing?" I ask quietly as I turn my head in Koji's direction. He shuffles next to me a small grunt leaving his lips.

"Well Sakura is just standing there in a defensive stance, and as for the albino, well he is crouched down over some type of scroll." He hums, I know that he is trying to figure out the scene in front of us. He always seemed to have to make some type of odd noise when he was thinking. The sound must egg on the gears in his head or something . "Holy shit! There are tigers! Fucking tigers coming from his scroll." Koji yells as I nearly jump out of my skin at the sudden volume increase. I quickly send out my chakra and feel that three chakra like blobs are approaching, and they are approaching fast. I grab a kunai out of my pouch and throw it just as the chakra creature was about to land on me. There was a wet popping noise and I feel some type of liquid splash on my skin. I smell it, it isn't like blood but there is a certain metallic smell to it. Then it hits me they are made of ink.

"Ink creatures?" I ask just as I land a kick on another creation.

"No shit." Koji growls out. I huff at his response, that was really going to help out our current situation.

"Ok well, there is no use in trying to keep a distance all we are going to do is waste energy and chakra on ink. I will take out the little creator, you go after Sakura, and I will help you once he is down, sound good?" Right as I finish my question I can feel a chakra blob twisting around my leg.

"Snakes, there are snakes!" Koji yells as I lean down and stab the ink creature with my kunai. "Aww man spiders, spiders, spiders! Fuuuucking spiders!" Koji is now in full panic mode. The kid can face gods knows what in battle, but spiders... he reverts to a five year old. I smirk for a moment thinking how epic it would be if I some how got a spider summon.

"Koji, just fucking deal! Get to Sakura! Go now!" I yell as I body flicker to behind Sai. Before he could even react I land a kick to his side. An omph sound lets me know that I have knocked his breath out. Take that disadvantage!

He dodges my next hit, but I quickly land a punch on his shoulder. He groans as be begin to also attack. He is good, a bit slow but good. I easily deflect his blows and land a few more hits. He is definitely more suited for distance, perhaps mid range.

We battle for the better part of ten minutes before I swipe his legs out from under him push my blade to his neck. I can feel his throat shift as he roughly swallows. "Do you concede?" I ask through pants. I feel his head nod slightly. I smirk down at him before I push myself up off of him and stand.

"That was most unexpected." His voice remains annoyingly pleasant, so much so that all I really want to do is smack that smirk in his voice off of his face.I just grunt turning my attention to Koji. I flicker over to their location, I can hear the muffled thuds of body hitting body. I send out my chakra and see that they are doing pretty well against each other, that is until there is a slight chakra surge, then Koji is on the ground.

"What the hell?" I hear him slur.

"Pressure points." She laughs, "So do you concede?"

"Why would he do that sweetheart? When back up is here." I drawl as I lazily walk towards her.

"Oh? You won over Sai?" She was surprised. Really now? We have fought and she didn't think I could take him on? I sigh, disappointed that she had under estimated me.

"Hmmmm, yeah got done with him a little bit ago." I hum as I pull out my kunai, "Was saving most my energy for you honey." I smile at her. Koji is now having a coughing fit. I am not sure if it has to do with the whatever she did, or from the fact that I am openly flirting with her. Sakura thought just lets out the most unlady like snort I have even heard in my life. "Oh hun, I do love all those sexy noises you make." I wiggle a brow at her. She scoffs, and then throws herself at me.

We fight and we fight hard. I don't even know how many bruises that I am collecting. I know that I am going to feel like shit in the morning. She is coming at me fast too, I have little time to say anything to her. That may be a good thing, as I think she is already pissed. Mission Sexy seemed to be going as planned. I ideally wonder how hard she will push me away if I keep coming on to her, hopefully hard and make my job easy. That thought makes me smile.

I don't even know how long we spar for, all I know is that all my muscles are screaming and I have gone beyond hitting the wall. She's slowing down also, which means I have more of a chance to talk. I smirk as I pant.

"Is that all you've got love? I thought you might have a bit more stamina then that." A lop sided grin flutters on my face. She growls and once again throws her body at me, but I easily dodge her. It seems she gets sloppy when she is flustered. I smile in her direction and I hear another huff as she comes at me again. I grab on to her wrist and thigh as she attempts to hit me. I twist and slam her to the ground, straddling over her I pull my blade on her. Huh, that was something that I wasn't expecting. I feel a sharp biting pressure on my throat. I laugh. "Looks like we have a draw. Wouldn't you say Cupcake?" We keep our current position for a few moments. Both of our chests heaving from the excursion of our fight.

"Draw." She hisses under me before she takes her weapon off of me. I grin at her as I sit up on her.

"It really was a good spar." Koji appeared next to us. "Well besides the damn spiders. Why spiders? Seriously there are millions of animals that you could have used, but nooooo you had to use spiders." He made a grunt of disgusts, I just shake my head while I pull myself off of Sakura. Standing I offer my hands to her, only to have her slap it away.

"I would have never taken you for a sore loser." I snort in her direction.

"Well you didn't win either, so there is no need to gloat." She growls next to me. I can hear her hands running over her clothes, attempting to get the dirt off.

"Ugly I do not believe that either were gloating. They just said that the experience was satisfying and the blind one even offered his hand. You are being a bit of a sore loser." Sai said in that pleasant voice and wasn't as annoying as it had been.

"Shut up Sai!" Sakura growled and stormed away. I bit my cheek to control the grin that wanted to spread on my face.

"What was that about?" Koji asks as he walks up next to me. I can hear his hands rubbing over the fabric of his cloths. I just shrug as I direct my head in his direction.

"You ok?" I raise my brow at him.

"Yeah I am fine, I dunno what she did, but what ever her hit made my whole body stiffen." He sighs. "I'll be fine. Been through worse."

"I do apologize for Ugl.. Sakura's behavior. She doesn't take defeat well... Well neither of us are use to it." Sai laughed, and it was a bit creepy. I don't know why but there just seems to be something off. "What village were you trained by?" Ugh, why are leaf shinobi so nosy?

"No village. I am not a shinobi." I grunt out, any smile that was on my face fell off.

"I was trained by Sui here." Koji says, I can feel my brow twitch. There really was no need for that information to be given.

"I see, so it must have been an S class nuke nin."

"No, nothing like that." I sigh "Just trained by a fellow country man."

"Hmmmm. Not too many elite country ninjas." In n the few moments I have talked with this man, he has attempted to dig farther then Sakura has in the past few days. The questions and implications are leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

"How long are you staying Sai?" I ask in a pleasant tone.

"Just the night. I have to get back to the village soon." I nod my head at him and smile largely.

"What a shame. I was hoping for another spar." I shrug. "Koji, I do believe that we have chores that need to be complete." I turn in his direction. He grunts at me and I turn to Sai. "It was nice to meet you." I nod to him and then quickly make my way back to the inn.

That was stupid. That was really stupid leaving like that. The kid is going to think that I have something to hide. Damn it. I have to remind myself to breath as I walk back. I can feel the tremor in my hand starting. The stress of having her here is bad enough, but add an ex Root agent... I don't know if I can handle that.

Avoid, avoid, avoid. That is what I spend the rest of the day doing. Avoiding the two shinobi from Konoha. I go to the one place I knew that they would not want to be: the chicken coup. Because no one in their right mind would want to volunteer to shovel out the shit while a demon's little helper attempted to attack. That was one of the only times that I have ever been happy to have such a pick of a rooster around. I took my time, and I have the battle wounds to prove it. After I was done and thoroughly and sweaty. I made my way to the shower. I sigh in relief, all that I was planning on doing was eating then turning in. I should not run into them anymore for the day.

While I was getting dressed there was a knock on my door. I just grunt as an answer.

"Yo, Sui. Yosh is done with dinner. Noni said to get your ass down now!" Koji yells through the door. I sigh as I pull my shirt on. Bossy. That woman is so bossy, and you would think that I would have gotten use to it by now, but it really is a hard pill to swallow.

"I'll be down in a moment. Getting dressed, unless you want me to eat in the nude. Which wouldn't bother me."

"Oh gods no. I would not appreciate that... Though I think that there is someone that might." He laughs through the door. My body stiffens at his words. I quickly pull on the rest of my cloths and march to the door. I open it quickly.

"THEY are not eating with us." I hiss at him while I step out of my room.

"Yeah, Noni told them to eat with us. They are the only guests right now, and she actually likes Sakura. Which you know Noni, she doesn't really care for many people." He breath out. "Why? What do you have against then anyways? I mean you were flirting pretty hard core during spar." I snort at him.

"No, I was not flirting." I shake my head.

"Well you know calling some one "sweet heart, honey, and love," are typical indications of flirting." He laughs as I groan.

"I am trying to get her off my back."

"Why would you ever want HER off your back. I mean Sui, she is really good looking.. Too good looking for you." I take a deep breath. I grab onto him and pull him roughly into my room. "What the hell man, let go!" He forcefully pulls out of my grip. I close the door quickly after him.

"Koji, do you remember when we first met?" I lower my voice. I face in his direction.

"Well yeah.. I mean it is kinda hard to forget about finding a some one floating down the river. " His voice is filled with confusion. Can he really be that dense?

"Do you remember when you threw my forehead protector at me?" I ask slowly. I could hear him shift around uncomfortably.

"Yeah. At that time I hated all shino... Ohh fuck." He stills.

"Yeah.." I drawl out nod.

"How did I not remember that? Holy fuck. Wait, so if they figure out?"

"I would be classified as a nukenin. I would be hunted. I don't think that it is likely, seeing how it has been so long, but you never know. It just makes me jumpy to have them here, to have her so interested in me." I take a deep breath as I begin to pace my room. Koji just stands there I can feel his eyes following my movement.

"Sui, you know that we were registered under Kohona." He says carefully. I stop and turn my head in his direction. I feel my stomach cramp a bit. "All of us, were enlisted under their ranks. We were placed in their platoons." I begin to clench my jaw. I don't know how to feel about that. I just shake my head and scratch the back of my neck. I cannot deal with right now. No, not going there.

"Wait so you are flirting with the girl to make her go away? That is not how it works." He snorts. I can hear him take a couple of steps and then I hear his shoulder hitting the wall. I stop pacing.

"No. Well yes. I mean I tried the cold and aloof attitude, and that seemed to draw her in like a fly to honey. She was constantly asking to be around me. Constantly asking me questions. She has this thing about my eyes, or lack of. I don't get it, I mean I guess she is into..."

"Pricks." Koji laughs. "Man, it always seems that they always do for those types." He sighed. "She'll be gone soon. I don't think they are moving in. Just keep your head on. We need to get down stairs though. Noni's horns are probably about to poke out soon. I don't want to be put on barn duty more then I have to." I nod with a long sigh and follow him down to the dinning room.

"What the hell took you two so long?" Noni grunted out.

"Sorry I had to get dressed." I smirk at her and scratch the back of my neck.

"What and you had to stare in the mirror for a bit?" She chuckled. I could hear her pouring some liquid. Seems it is a sake night. Awesome. I just find my seat and sit down quickly.

"Why would he want to look in the mirror?" Sai asks from across the table. I just turn my head in his direction and furrow my brow. Noni snorts and laughs from her side of the table.

"Sai, she was joking, or being sarcastic." Sakura sighs as she takes the seat next to me. My mouth dries. That seat has not been sat in for two years. The whole room tenses. While Sakura and Sai may think it is due to Noni's comment, everyone else knows it't because of the chair that was just taken next to me. I swallow thickly before I smile to the boy.

"Why would you joke about his lack of eye sight? How would that be funny?" This time no one laughs. I can feel Koji, Yosh and Noni's eyes burrowing into me.

"It was a stupid joke. I should not have made it." Noni croaks out. I stayed still but my bow does raise. Noni is not one to willingly admit when she is wrong. It is nice to hear once in a while.

"The food is getting cold, dig in." Yosh says in a light tone, before scooping some food on my plate. It was awkward. I have a feeling that everyone was expecting me to yell at the girl next to me, telling her to get out of the seat. I honestly want to, but knew that she didn't mean anything by it. It's just a chair. It's just a fucking chair. Just a chair.

"Thank you Noni for letting Sai and I eat with you. It is always so nice to share a meal, then eat alone." Sakura broke the silence that fell on the table.

"Oh, it is a pleasure to have you. No offense Sai, but it is nice to have another woman here. And you remind me of them so much." My head snaps in her direction. Was she drunk? She had not brought them up for months. And definitely not the girls, not around me.

"Who?" Sakura's voice was light and sweet as she questioned. I just grip hard onto my chop stick.

"The girls, Yuma and Hisako." Noni slurs. Yep drunk. "They were beautiful, lovely girls. So was Goro. They passed." The sound of liquid filling the bowl echo's in the room. I sigh. I have never had experience with a melancholy drunk Noni before. Normally she is boisterous and humorous. "The war. They were in the war you know."

Silence fills the room. One so thick that it made moving difficult

"Actually, Hisako was Sui's fiance. She use to sit right were you sat every day." Soft slurping sounds came from Noni. Every muscle in my body tensed and I know that there is a frown on my face.

"Oh, I am sorry." I can hear her begin to shift, as if to stand up. I quickly place a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't, you don't have to." I say softly.

"I don't want to..." She whispers.

"You are fine, don't worry about it." I sigh as I take my hand off of her. She sighs and sits down. I may not want her close, but I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable here. Maybe I should have let her move.

The silence takes over once again. The only noise that was being made was chop sticks hitting plates, or soft coughs here and there. I try to eat but my mouth remains dry and my stomach still feels twisted. Sakura coughs next to me.

"You know I have done a lot of thinking... " I can hear her take a sip of her tea. " I think there is a good chance that I may be able to give you your sight back."

I cough as I inhale a piece of rice. She pats me hard on the back.

"What did you just say?" I croak out after I get the rice out.

"I think I can give you your sight back."

 **Thank you all for all the support from the last chapter. The condolences were really nice. It had been hard, but we'll get through it! Thank you also for all the follows and faves also! I am happy that people are reading and enjoying the story. This chapter is meant to be a bit awkward for Shisui, but also getting back to his light character, because that is what I love about him!**

 **Thank you again!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Wait, what did you say?" Yosh says across from me, a sharp clank ends his question as he places his chop sticks not so gently on his plate.

"Umm, that I believe, it is very possible that I could, very likely, give Sui his sight back." Her voice was hesitant this time. I could hear her shuffle slightly. I knew that everyone was staring holes into the girl right now. I just sat there stupidly, I didn't know what to say or do. I never though that regaining my sight was even an option on the table.

"Ugly has had an obsession with eyes since the end of the war." Sai sighs from across the table, his chop sticks hit the plate as he continued to eat. This seems to be a perfectly normal conversation for him.

"Ugly?" Noni snorts. "Who are you to call anyone ugly?" She growls out. Sakura just sighs next to me. Seems that tonight is a sighing party.

"It's a stupid nickname he came up with a long time ago," Her words were muffled like as if she as speaking with her hands on her face. I can hear her slightly shift again.

"Who cares about nick names!" Koji all but yells out. His outburst actually caused me to jump. "How can you give Sui his sight back? What are you talking about donor eyes? How? He hasn't had eyes for over a decade. I am pretty sure that there is some type of timeline for all that." His voice was a bit hysterical and it made my brow raise as I turned my head towards him. He is probably feeling the emotions that I should be feeling, but all I can muster is numbness.

"Well not exactly a donor. I mean some of the cells would be but I would be working mostly with Sui's genetic materiel." What is she talking about? There was no genetic materiel left.

"I don't have eyes though, there is nothing left of them. Nothing left to fix. I just have sockets." I mumble as I point my head towards the table.

"Yes I know, but there is new advancements in the medical field. I think that it is a good possibility that I could cultivate or "grow" your eyes. It would be combined with some cells that we actually use to make replacement limbs for the shinobi of my village. I will say that it has never been used to grow eyes per say, but I have been working on that for a while. I believe that I have figured it out." She was starting to talk faster and faster as she attempted to explain. This was something she clearly was excited about. I could hear her smile spreading as she talked.

"How would we go about this?" Yosh asked slowly, his hand running over the stubble of his chin.

"Well I have a few things that I need to finish and then some things I need to clear, but that should take about four to six month. Then I would need Sui to come with me to Konoha. I would take blood samples and do some DNA samples then I would combine his and the other cells that I have and cultivate his eyes. Though while I was doing that I would also need to start a treatment that would prepare his optic nerve to be reattached. That is the reason that he would need to be around while I grow his eyes." Noni and Yosh begin to ask more questions about the growing process and all i could do is sit there silently and furrow my brow. Did I want my sight back? Well did the devil enjoy the flame? Hell yes I wanted to see again. Though, this girl, this girls could turn my life around was from the one place that I could not step foot in. Konoha. Could I return to that village? Could I return _**safely**_ was the biggest question.

Then all the questions about my eyes. What would happen with my sharingan? Would it awaken in these new eyes? What if it did when I was in Kohona. What would the village do? What would it mean? What would happen? What? What? What? What? I feel like screaming the more questions fill my head. I jump as I feel a small hand on my shoulder.

"Sui are you alright?" Sakura asks and she gives me a light squeeze. I swallow thickly and just nod at her. I can't do it. I can't go with her.

"I am fine, just thinking." I lean back in my chair and sigh. "You know, what you are offering sounds amazing, but I don't have the money to stay in a village for a long period of time, or the money to cover the medical expenses." I could hear some one about to speak up but I loudly and quickly add. "Plus, I mean we are already running pretty lean here. Noni and Yosh need help here." I say as I ran my hand through my hair.

"Well you don't have to worry about the medical stuff. Nor the board and housing, I can figure out something for you. There is nothing on that front that you would have to worry about." Nope wrong there lady, there was a lot to worry about. I just sit silent for a few moments. I know that everyone is waiting for me to say something, but I can't think of what else to say.

"I think that he may need some time to think about it." of all the people at the table it was Sai that spoke up. I have never been more happy to be eating with some one that was socially awkward in my life.

"Yeah, I think I just need a little time." I nodded my head. I hear a soft almost disappointed sigh come from the seat next to me.

"I understand. I mean I am leaving in three days, so you can give me your answer then." She pats my shoulder. I try and smile at her but I am sure that I just grimace instead. The rest of the meal was ate in silence. Once we finished everyone departed to their rooms or to finish the last of the days chores. I found myself in the kitchen silently washing dishes while Yosh prepped for tomorrow. Just as I began to dry I feel him standing behind me.

"You don't need to worry about us." He says quietly, more quietly then I have ever heard him talk to me. It was a tone that he took sometimes with Hisako or Yumma when one of the boys were being mean to them. I shake my head as I turn to face him.

"Come again?"

"Sui, we can make do here if you go. Don't base your decision on what you think is best for any of us. This is something that can change your life in amazing ways." His large hand grips onto my shoulder. "You know Noni and I don't expect you to stay for ever, either you or Koji. We knew that one day you would leave and start a life that was separate from ours. That's what growing up does. And you have been a man for a while now." He pats my shoulder.

"I...I...I don't want to leave." I say quietly. He just sighs in response.

"We like having you here, and you can always come back, but don't you want to see what else this world has to offer? And actually be able to see it all?." His voice was growing tighter as he spoke. "Don't you pass this up for us." He breaths a shaky breath, then suddenly he grabs onto and pulls me into a tight embrace. If I had ever imagined what it was like to hug a bear all I ever had to do was hug Yosh. I awkwardly wrapped my arms around him and gave him a few gentle pats. He sniffles a few moments before releasing me and pats me on the head.

"I'll think about it, it's...just... complicated." I smirk at him as I grab him into another embrace, really realizing how much this man was like a father to me. He was a bit caught off guard but quickly returned the hug and patted my head once more. Turning away quietly he leaves me to finish the dishes more confused then when I started.

I have a difficult time sleeping again, but this was not due to the past haunting me, but of what my future could be. I ran my hands over my sockets and I could almost feel the orbs behind the lids. If only she came from a different village. I sigh as I put my arm over my head. If she was from the Sand, Mist, hell even Snow I would have jumped at it, but no, she had to be from fucking Konoha. But then again that village _**owed**_ me. It owed me for taking my eye, it owed me for having my friend kill our family and friends, it owed me for failing Sasuke, for failing it fucking owed me, for not keeping my new family alive . I growl as I slam my hand against the wall that my bed was pressed up against.

"Hey what did the wall ever do to you?" Koji asks as he walks in. I just take a deep breath and roll my head over in his direction.

"Can I help you Koji?" I drawl, not even bothering to get up.

"Sakura wants to know if you could take her to the village." I can feel the bed shift as he sits at the foot. I shift slightly to give him some room.

"Yeah, that is what I am here for right? To take her around." I breath. I had given up fighting to get some one else to take her on the second day. There was no way I was getting out of it. "When does she want to go?"

"Well her team mate is leaving around noon, so I figure sometime after that." I feel his weight shift again until he had his back against the wall. "What are you going to do?" I just raise my brow at him.

"Take her to the village." I shrug and then cannot help the smirk when I hear Koji scoff.

"You know what I mean. Are you going to let her help you?" I groan as I pull myself up into a sitting position, I roughly push my hair out of my face.

"Do you think that I need help?" I deadpan to him. He just clicks his tongue.

"Well I think that you need more help then anyone can offer." He laughs and kicks his leg against my feet. "But seriously man, you could be able to see again." I just sigh as I lean my head against the headboard. Yes I know that.

"But Koji, she said that I would have to go back to Konoha with her. I don't know if I should ever go back there." I say to the ceiling.

"Do you really think they would figure out that it was you? I mean when we picked you up you were what twelve? Thirteen? That was well over ten years ago. I know that I wouldn't recognize you from the brat we pulled out of the river." I could feel his subtle movements. He was probably shrugging. "I think you should do it. I know Yosh and Noni feel the same way. I know that they won't push you." I let a small laugh past my lips.

"Yosh already talked to me, I know that he thinks that I should take her up." Maybe they were right. I mean who would be looking for Uchiha Shisui? No one that is who. Maybe I am being far to cautious. Though could I face my old village? Could I see the people that I once knew and act like I didn't . I am no actor. But sight... fucking sight... I would be able to see Noni, Yosh, and Koji. I could see pictures of Hisako. That makes my stomach drop. I know that Noni has box after box of pictures. I could see her. The only thing that was left of her and I would be able to look at them. Am I willing to face being uncovered just for a picture? I think that I might be.

"I don't know... I want to say yes. I mean, once my eyes were gone, I was pretty sure that any type of sight was out of the question. Now it seems too good to be true though." I shrug and point my head in his direction.

"Maybe it's not too good to be true. Maybe it's just something good. We, you, all deserve some good every once in a while." He pats my calf and slowly leaves the bed. "Anyway we have shit to get done, so rise and shine sunshine." He says as he leaves the room. I just take another breath and let my head fall back roughly against the head board.

Before I know it the morning passed and Sakura and I were walking to the ferry so she could go into town. She refused to go on the paddle boat with me since the last time, I may have been a little off and then tipped it on some rocks. Really could you ask for more when you had a blind man rowing you around? So here we were standing against the railing of the ferry in awkward silence. I don't know what to say to her and it seems she feels the same way.

"I am sorry," She sighs next to me, I furrow my brow as I turn my head to her direction.

"What are you sorry for?"

"For last night. I mean probably should have brought that up in private. I looked for you after the spar. I couldn't find you and I just got really excited and couldn't stop myself. I mean I don't want to pressure you or anything." Her hand goes over mine and squeezes. I move it away from her, and I can hear a disappointed sigh come from her.

"It's ok, don't worry about it." I sigh as I ran my hand over my chin. We stand there for a few more moments. Her presence is just throwing me off kilter. I mean at first I am trying to be mean to the girl, she keeps coming at me, then I am flirty and now... well, I just don't know what to be. After what she offered... I really don't know how to act around her. I want to pull her into a hug, but at the same time I just want to push her way.

"Sooo, have you thought about it?" She asks as she inches closer to me.

"Aa." Is really the only response that I can come up with.

"I mean is there anything medically that is holding you back? Are you scared of the surgery? Or do you think I can't do it, because I am telling you I have been working out how to do this long before I met you. I definitely can do this." Her shoulder began to brush against mine... She was far too close.

"i don't know I mean moving to a new place that I don't know or anyone in. Then, yeah having a major surgery. It's just is a lot." I shrug and shift away slightly.

"Well you will know me, and you can meet my friends. People in Konoha are really nice and you will definitely be comfortable. I will be with you every step of the way." Ohhh, I know just how nice the people of Konoha can be. I frown a bit as I feel her lean into me again. This girl was the epitome of a personal bubble breaker.

"So is this all about my eyes or do you want to show me a good time?" I smirk at her to see if she will back away.

"Oh I will show you everything. I will show you the world, once I get those eyes in your sockets." She purrs next into my ear. My tongue slowly goes over my lips, this girl could give me the world. Then why do I feel like I could possibly be making a deal with the devil?

"I'll do it." I whisper out even before I know the words are coming out of my mouth. My body stiffens as I realized what I just word vomited. Oh gods what did I just say?

"Really?"

"Hn"

Then she grabbed me and gave me the hardest hug I had ever had in my life. My spine pops as she presses me into her. The personal bubble has completely been destroyed at this point

"Thank you." She sighs against my ear, at that my brow furrows. Why is she thanking me?

"No, thank you Sakura." Those word either have opened my world or signed my death warrant.

She left a few days later letting me know that she would be back between four and six months. She said that she had some projects to finish and some things to clear. The time that I spend with her was more relaxed then the previous days. She didn't ask as many questions but there was still a part of me that was on edge around her. Needless to say I felt relieved when she did finally depart.

Everyone was pleased, to say the least, with my decision. I received another bone crushing hug from Yosh. Who would have thought the giant of a man would grow more sentimental as he aged? Noni and Koji both told me that I would have been a fool to turn it down. Though Noni had informed me that once Sakura brought up the offer, she went and gathered as much information about the girl as possible. She was pleased when it all came back positive and that it was indeed a real offer. She went as far as contacting the Hokage, which she replied that Sakura had cleared it with her before offering the service. Which made me question whether Sai was actually in the area, or he was checking me out. It would have been a smart move to have some one else come in and check me out, so I really couldn't be that surprised if that was the intention of his visit.

I tried not to think about what was coming, I tried not to think that in less then half a year I may be able to see. While Sakura was confident that she could cleanly replace the eyes that were taken, I knew that there was a chance that none of this would work. She had never replaced eyes before, so I was her test subject. Nothing was one hundred percent and I knew that. That and the waiting game was never a game that I was ever any good at. So to sit there and count the days until the medic came back would drive me even more insane that I already feel. So I tried to keep myself busy.

While I was avoiding thinking about everything that I couldn't wait to see, my life resumed in the same manner it had been for the past few years. I worked the inn, I tended the animals, I helped in the kitchen, I went fishing and to the market. My simple life had once again returned and it helped keep the anxiety that was always floating just beneath the surface from bubbling over. The inn was steady, we had never had it as busy as it was before the war, but the current amount of business kept us busy with out of the need to hire anyone. Shinobi rarely came, but the inn usually was filled with civilians traveling or vacationing. So when Shinobi or anyone that didn't seem like a civilian the word spread fast.

"There are some guys on the main land that are digging up stuff about Yasha." Koji said quietly as he led his goat next to mine. I can hear him push the stool around a bit before taking a sear. I sigh but continue to milk my goat.

"Yeah?" I ask as I run my finger along the inside of the metal pale determining how full it was.

"Yeah, said that they are authors. Some one had turned them onto the Yasha fire. I guess they have been asking about it a lot." His tone was serious as he started to milk his goat. I pursed my lips but didn't respond much past that. It had been nearly a decade since I took down that syndicate, and I honestly didn't want to think of it again. I never talked about it, though I know that they all knew who was responsible for all that death that night. To have some one digging it up after all this time was a bit unnerving.

"Aaanndd I think they may have made reservations at the inn." Koji was hesitant. I took a deep breath as I sat straight. Great.

"No one knows it was me. The rumors are nothing to go by. I mean I have heard that it was the devil himself that opened up the gates of hell to claim their souls. There is no tracking it here." I begin to untie the goat from her post.

"Yeah, but most of the rumors say it was a blind avenger came and cleared them out then burnt down the building. Yeah, there are some pretty impressive stories out there, but blind seems to be a main point." I sigh as I shake my head. The writers can believe what they want. There was also a myth of little sprites that came out of the water and stole babies if they were interested.

"If they are authors they are looking for a good story. Let them find it on the main land, just ignore them or repeat what you have heard." I shrug as I stand from my stool. "What do we have to fear from writers?" I hear Koji softly sigh as I pick up my pale and walk back to the pasture to let the goat graze. This would be more of an annoyance then anything.

The authors showed up at the inn a day later. They definitely were not civilian. The chakra in both said that they were shinobi. I took the precaution of masking my chakra. I figure that there are two possibilities going on. One that they were indeed authors, and possibly retired shinobi, or that they were searching for something. I planned on giving them nothing to look at. I masked my chakra and didn't use it around the inn, also Koji and I didn't spar once we heard that they were sniffing around. We would be a dead end for them. I was hoping that during their stay here I could avoid them... Now I could not be that lucky, could I?

"That's them." Koji murmured to me. I just let my brow furrow.

"Who?" I ask as I begin to clear the table in front of me.

"Those authors. They are sitting at the bar." I slowly take a breath.

"Aa. I see."

"No you don't." Koji snorts at me. I just furrow my brow at him and let my mouth pull down into a small frown.

"Real mature Koji." I sigh and begin to walk the dishes back to the kitchen. I am stopped as I feel a hand placed on my shoulder.

"Do you want me to take them? They are in your area." He asked softly. I just shake my head.

"Na don't worry about it. I'll take care of them. After all they are just eating right?" I say as I walk off. I quickly dispense the dishes into the sink waving my hand at Yosh. I am pretty sure he saw me since right after I hear a grunt come from the man. I slowly walk to the back of the bar and walk to the area where I can hear the men talking quietly to each other, grabbing a few menus on my way over.

"Afternoon. Can I get you anything to drink?" I ask as I slide the menus infront of the men.

"Aa, I will have shochu." The man to my left requested. I nod my head then turn to where the other man was sitting.

"Plum wine." I nod in his direction then begin to get the drinks and glasses. I have had the bar memorized for years now, so tending it was not difficult in the least. The men keep on conversing while I fill their cups and place them in front of them. I clear my throat drawing their attention to me and they quite quickly.

"Would you like to order or are you just here for the drinks?" I ask pushing the drinks forward.

"We will be ordering. Though we do need a moment." The man's voice was kind and you could clearly hear the smile in it. I give a small nod.

"I'll be back in a few moments then. If you need anything before then, don't be afraid to call out for me. My name is Sui." I smile.

"Nice to meet you Sui. I am Umino Genma, and the man to my side is my assistant Might Kineo." I hear a sigh come from the assistant, but I just let it go. I smile and give them another nod before walking away from them. I really have no interest in knowing their names. Though they do seem somewhat familiar. I shake my head, no I must be wrong. There is no way that I have ever met these men before.

I wait on the authors and all goes as it should. They eat and talk amongst themselves only speaking to me when they want to order which is just fine with me. Though once they were done with eating and a few more rounds their attention is unfortunately drawn to me.

"Sui, right?" I just nod my head as I pour one of them some plum wine. "Water, Huh interesting name. Do you have a sure name or even a clan?" I just grunt and shake my head. I had been preparing myself for them to start talking to me.

"This little town is full of interesting stories and people." The other man chimed in. I just nod my head in bored manner.

"You know we heard the most interesting story the other day at the bar. One that will definitely go in our book of legends." I just raise my brow at them. "They say a while ago that there was a blind avenger that came in through the town and took down a man that had been terrorizing it for quite a while. I mean I don't know if that is true, how could a blind man take down a whole syndicate? Have you heard about that one?" The man, I don't know if it was Genma or Kineo, lazily drawled. I just let out a small laugh and shook my head.

"The villagers do tend to have magnificent imaginations. I have heard about that, several variations. Some say it was simply just a fire that tore through the building, while others insist that a demon came up from the gates of hell to claim Yasha's soul himself." I shrug. "I was young when it happened, and was here on the island. I don't really know what went on." I hear them men hum in front of me and their glasses hit the bar after they had taken a drink. I know that they are fishing here, and I do not intend to bite.

"It would be interesting to talk to the man though, if he exists. Imagine a blind ninja, that must be something to see." I just once again shrug and begin to walk away to the kitchen "You know, I have heard that there is a blind man on this very island that can fight like a ninja. You wouldn't know about that rumor would you?" I know that my body tenses and i hope that it goes unseen by the men. I turn my head over my shoulder.

"Hmmm that is interesting. I haven't heard anything but I will let you know if I ever do." I turn and walk into the kitchen, leaving Koji to take care of the bill. They would be digging and I knew it. I sigh as I walk back into the kitchen and get something to drink. I don't know how long these men plan on staying I hope it isn't too long. I don't know if I will be able to handle them for long.

They stay for a few days, but have not brought up any questions about the blind ninja. They spend most of time back in the town, searching for information on local legends I suppose. I could honestly could care less. As long as they are not digging about me, they can do what they please. Four days into their stay is when they forced me to pay attention to them.

It was my day to take care of the morning feeding and care of the animals, which meant that I had to wake earlier then everyone else. The air was still cool and the birds were singing to the arrival of the sun. Yawning I meander down the path to the barn. I stretch and feel the joints pop and crack through my body. I let out a deep grumble as I shake out a sudden shiver. I really am not a morning person. I yawn again, but then suddenly stiffen. It's quite. Yes I can hear the usual noises from the chickens and goats, but there wasn't a single bird singing, not bug chirping. I slow my pace and begin to feel for vibrations, I didn't want to release my chakra, especially if it was nothing. That's when I heard it. The whistling sounds of weapons cutting through the air. I jump back and hear the blades make dull thunks as they embed themselves into the ground. I growl as I reached and pulled the blades out of the earth. Without thinking I send out my chakra and find two signatures about fifty feet away in the wood. I take the kunai and spin it on my finger, then quickly send it back to the owners.

"Thought you didn't know of any blind ninjas." Of course it was Genma and Kineo. Son of a bitch, and of course I sent my chakra out. My nose flares and my mouth turns into a scowl. It was too damn early to deal with these two.

"You could have killed me assholes!" I yell and send another kunai towards them, this time I throw it sloppy, missing the mark by a foot or so.

"Na not killed, we were not aiming for any vital points." A nervous voice says as I hear their footsteps approach. I clench my teeth and my fists.

"What the hell was that all about?" I stomp forward. All I want to do was pummel these two to the ground, but i know that if I show any more skill they will definitely not leave me alone.

"My My, getting so upset over a possible pape rcut." The other man sighs. "We just needed to test a theory is all."

"What theory is that?" I growl.

"Oh that there is indeed a blind ninja in this little village, or on this island." I scoff at them.

"I am not this mythical blind man. I was trained a little when I was younger, but then I lost my fucking eyeballs! Now I work at the inn. I cook food, turn down beds, feed chickens! You are looking in the wrong place." I can't help the amount of chakra that is bubbling out of me. "Please leave the inn." I turn and begin to walk to the barn leaving the two men standing there staring at me. What if I was just a blind man? They had no issue injuring some one? I snort as I shake my head. I should have tried to land a kunai on them! Then I hear them walking quickly behind me.

"Sorry, but we just had to be sure."

"Sure of what? That I could defend myself? What if I couldn't? It's ok that you would have stabbed some one with a kunai? For what a damn book?" My brow furrows as I continue to walk to the barn. I can hear the crunch of gravel behind me letting my know that the two idiots have decided not to leave, no they were following me.

"Hey how about a spar?" One of them says, I don't know who. Genma or Kineo, I sneer as I continue to walk.

"I do think that a spar will help you with your aggression right now." The other one drawls. I can't help the snort that come out.

"No thanks." I growl and pick up my pace. I can hear that their steps had also quicken. What is wrong with these two? I had never had anyone so amendment about bothering me that didn't live with me. I am almost to the barn when I feel some one grab my shoulder. Quickly I grab onto the wrist of one of the men and twist it behind it's owner. Then it becomes clear and it seems as if everything goes into slow motion. The grasp was a way to bait me. If I didn't want to spar with them then they would get in their fight one way or another. I can sense that while I had one hand on one of the men incapacitated, that the other was preparing to strike. That is when I decide to let the cards, or should I say fists, land where they may. Unfortunately for me the gloved fist must of had a medal knuckle guard and landed right next to my temple. Once blow connects I can hear the sickening sharp sound of something cracking in my brow. I am sure that if my optic nerves were working and i had eyes that I would definitely have saw stars.

Surprise runs through my body as I realized that the hit had made me fall to the ground. I can hear them talking about something but honestly I couldn't focus on them. All I could focus on was the nauseating pain that I felt. The pain and the liquid that seemed to be oozing out of the wrap that was over my eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" Still laying on the ground I turn my head in the direction on the in and the thuds of feet hitting the ground.

"Nice Senpai, real nice." One of them sighs. I shake my head slightly, which was probably the worst thing that I could have done. It seemed to only encourage the pain to become stronger. I lift my hand up to feel the, ah blood, that was leaking out from somewhere on my face. It had been a long time since I took a hit and didn't brace myself in any manner.

"I said what the hell is going on here?" I heard Noni yell as I feel her hands on my face. "What right do you think you have for attacking one of my kids?" She growls out as she begins to pull the bandage off of my face. I grimace as I feel her fingers begin to prod at my face. I inhale sharply as I feel her pull back my lid. She still for a moment then I can hear a low growl come from you. Her hands leave my face. "Well are you fucking going to answer me?"

"Well you see..."

"I don't think that he is really a kid anymore." They say over each other. I can hear Noni's cloths rustle as she stands up next to me. They quite down, I have a good idea that she is giving them what Koji calls "Noni's death glare". He said that when she looked pissed the expression on her face could make anyone cower down.

"He _**is my**_ kid, and will always be my kid. You just sucker punched a blind man you little twit, now he has a shard of his brow bone sticking through his socket!" She screamed at them. "If this fucks up his chances, I swear to all the almighty gods and spirits that I will hunt you down and not only remove your eyes also, but every part of your body that gives you enjoyment." She growls. I can't help my mouth opening at the threat that she made. Noni can tend to be a bit protective, but I had never seen it to this extent. And I honestly don't think that I have ever been around her when she was this mad before. She is already and intimidating person by nature, but the rage and murderous intent that was rolling off of her right now, well it was nothing less then terrifying. I feel her hands once again on my face, but this time she is pushing her chakra into my wound.I grunt as I feel the bones begin to shift.

"We didn't intend to hurt him, we..."

"I don't care. Get out. Get out of my Inn before I have my other kid take care of the two of you." She said in a low menacing voice. "Stop furrowing your brow it's making this more difficult." She pushed a little harder on my head. I try to keep my muscles relaxed but it is really difficult with the pressure of her hands, the bones moving in my skull, and the rage that was rolling off of her.

"Did you not hear me GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" She screams and accidentally spikes her chakra into my skull. The sudden burst of energy made me instantly vomit. "Shit," She murmured as she rolls me over to empty the contents that were in my mouth.

At some point I lose consciousness, I don't know if it was from the hit or if it was from the chakra spike, but I am sure not going to complain. Noni's healing was a lot like when Hisako healed, there was always pain. It was not like when Sakura knitted the bones together, I don't know what would make the difference, perhaps because they were not trained as medics, only figured out some more unrefined healing. When I begin to wake the throbbing in my head feels like some one was taking a hammer to it. I wince a bit as I lift my hand up and feel my brow. The skin under my fingers was warm and tightly swollen.

"Sorry, I did the best that I could. I have never had to deal with an injury quite like that." I head Noni murmurer. I roll my head in the direction of her voice and realize that I was laying down in a bed a pillow propped under my head. I can hear her shuffle over and begin to place some type of herbal salve on my brow and temple.

"Are they gone?" I ask trying not to move the muscles in my face.

"The idiots?" I just grunt in reply. "Yeah, they high tailed it out of here shortly after you passed out." She sighed and began to rub the cream into my temple. "What was that all about, normally when we have guests act out of hand it's after spending some time in the bar, but it was a bit too early for that."  
I swallow and move my tongue in my dry mouth.

"They were looking into the Yasha incident. They thought that I was the one that did it, and they wouldn't take no for an answer." She removed her hand from my face and I lifted myself up into a seated position. "The whole thing was a bit weird if you ask me." I shrug, then noticed the stiff ache that ran from the base of my skull down into my shoulders. I hiss as I try to roll it out.

"Don't move to much, you probably strained some neck muscles. He must have hit you pretty hard, to nick that bone and get you to the ground. Why didn't you dodge it?" I can hear the clicks and clanks of bottles, I assume all the ingredients for whatever it was she had slathered on my face.

"They were looking for a ninja. A unguarded fist to the face is about as far from that as you can get." I groan out as I shift on the bed. She just snorts a bit. "Though I didn't expect you to go all mama bear on them." I chuckle then wince at the movement.

"I have lost enough kids." Her tone was flat, making me turn my head towards her. She just sighs, "Well here is the good thing, while you were passed out we did receive a hawk from Sakura, seems she will be here to pick you up in four days." I feel a jolt of apprehension surge through my body and my mouth dries even further. It had only been four months, this was happening faster then I anticipated. "It would make sense that she would want to come and collect you, winter is coming. The cold does make travel a bit more difficult. It works out here too, things are going to get pretty dead soon." I feel a shift near the end of my bed. I know that she just took a seat. I take a deep breath and let it out. "You okay kid?"

"Yeah, just thought that she would take longer." I try and smirk at her. She places a hand on my shoulder and gives a slight squeeze.

"I know that this is probably all overwhelming for you, but it's going to be ok. Actually I think that this is going to be great for you Shisui." She gives me another light squeeze. All thoughts of the authors leave me. Now I couldn't care less if they did write a book about me. No that wasn't important right now, what was is that in a few weeks I would be walking back into Kohona. I would be going home and possibly getting my sight back. I felt elated and terrified at the same time.


	13. Chapter 13

Typically I am not one to procrastinate. I always found that getting done early with any task was the best way to go. Get it done, then have plenty of time to do what ever you would like. Well over the past few days procrastination has become a good friend to me... Perhaps not the best influence. No not at all. It's procrastination's fault that it is near the middle of the night and I have Noni and Koji huffing in my room, moving my stuff and getting rather irritated with me.

"Man, have you packed anything?" Koji sighs. I can hear him opening and closing the drawers to my dresser.

"Well I did put my books into traveling scrolls." I shrugged as I sat on my bed. I hear a snort at the other side of the room.

"Oh that's great kid, priorities. Porn, then what? Crafting supplies? Sui, you are going to be traveling to Konoha, it is nearly a five day trip. You need to make sure that you have supplies and then clothing for when you are actually in the village. I doubt that you want to ruin your books to make clothes or eat the paper." I just scowl as I turn my head the other direction. I know that I am being childish. I know a twenty six year old should not be acting in this manner... I just can't seem to stop myself. I was nervous about leaving, and didn't want to prepare to go. It felt worse then leaving for an S class mission. Perhaps since a mission wasn't personal, and this was deeply so. I could hear Noni let out a long drawn out sigh. "It's going to be fine Shisui. But you really need to get ready to go. I'll pack some food, you and Koji take care of your clothes." It was silent for a few moments, well besides the fall on Noni's foot hitting the ground and then the door closing.

"Shisui?" Koji asked. I can hear him pop open a traveling scroll and smooth the parchment on the floor. I scrunched my nose and scratch the back of my neck. Noni had never used my full name in front of anyone before. It was a bit awkward to have her drop it now.

"Yeah, full name." Koji became still for a moment, then shuffling his feet he walked over to me.

"I have known you for thirteen years, and I never knew your full name?" I just shrug. I suppose it was kind of odd. I mean I knew all the kids fulls names. Though none of theirs came with the stigma that mine had now.

"Well, you never asked." I turned my head in his direction. I could feel a cool object placed in my hand, I ran my fingers over it to realize that it was another traveling scroll.

"Huh." Koji grunted as he began to step away. "So what is your surname? Also, you can pack your pants in that scroll. I will have a twine set up so you know what is in each one." I pursed my lips as I let my fingers find the seal at the top of the scroll releasing it.

"I do have a surname." I said as I stood in front the bed and smoothed my scroll over it. I turned and opened the bottom drawer of my dresser and began to scoop out the pants from it.

"Yeah, and you going to say what it is? " I don't turn towards him, instead I make it my mission that my pants were perfectly folded and placed onto the scroll. "Sui?" He coughs a bit, then I hear another popping noise that lets me know that he had just sealed a scroll.

"I don't know if it would be wise to let you know that." I mumble and straighten the slacks one more time.

"Oh, come on. What does it matter at this point? You know everything about me.." And that I did. He knew some information about me but I always made sure to divert any conversation away from me. I sigh as I begin to seal the scroll with my pants. Would he really care about my lineage? Probably not. It had been thirteen years like he had said. Perhaps the people in my life deserved this small piece of information. I turn my face towards him and bit my inner cheek.

"My name is Uchiha Shisui." I say slowly. After completely avoiding my name for so long, it fell odd and awkward rolling off my tongue. I stood still, facing the direction that Koji stood. It was silent for a long while. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet, perhaps I should not have said anything.. I knew he was looking at me, but I didn't have a clue what he was thinking.

"Uchiha?"" He said the name slowly. I just give a small smile and nod."Like the last Uchiha, the one from the war?" I just nodded and hummed a little. "So did you have those red eyes?" I just continue to nod my head. "Huh... Well if that wasn't the last name that I would have expected you to say." He chuckled and I hear him open another scroll. "An Uchiha? Seriously?" A small laugh escapes my throat.

"Seriously."

"Okay then... . Well here is the system that I came up with. Each of your travel scrolls will have some twine tied to them." I hear his clothes shuffle then something sawing against something else. The noise is ended by a sharp pop. "So your shirts will have just one piece on them. Two for your pants. And three for your panties." I scoff at him but before I can retort he reached out for my hand and placed a scroll in my hand. I let my fingers travel up it until I can feel the twine that was tied onto it. One, this is the shirt scroll. I nod at him as I let the small rope slide through my finger and thumb. "I have also gotten you a wallet. Now I know you are going to get all pissy, but I put some money in there for you..."

"Koji."

"Stop. I have had some saved up, you can pay me back when you get back. It's not a big deal. Not like I have anything, or anyone to use it on. Anyways, I have already folded them into the different denominations. Lucky that Sakura will be with you so you know that you won't be swindled if you need to use it on the road." He takes the scroll away from me and places the wallet into my hand. I open it and run my fingers over the bills. My mouth pulls down into a frown as I mentally counted the cash. I turned my head.

"No! I said stop! You have never asked anything from us, and you have helped us more then you know. I just want to help you out. That is what families do. That is why we are up, way past midnight, helping you. So just deal with it you stubborn bastard." He took the wallet from my hand, then shuffled away. I can hear him fumbling with metal latches then I hear the sound of the scrolls hitting each other. "So in here," He walks over and puts a pack into my hands. "Is your clothes, besides the ones that you have on and the set that is for tomorrow, the wallet is in the front pouch." He stops for a moment and takes my other hand and places it in the pocket of the front of the bag.

"I get it Koji." Really the amount of babying was getting out of hand. I have been blind for a well over a decade. I am pretty sure that I could figure out where everything in a simple pack would be. Though I don't tell him that. I have a feeling that he needed to do this.

"Just making sure." He mumbled. "Oh your porn is also in there. It is the scroll with no twine." He slaps me on the back .

"It's not porn." I grumble as I set the pack next to my bed.

"Whatever you say man. I know they sell the stuff behind curtains, and not to anyone under seventeen. That pretty much says porn... Not to mention what Sakura said." I just snort at him and take a seat.

"What did Sakura say?"

"Oh that it has some pretty graphic depictions and pictures."

"How would she know unless she read it?" I ask as I begin to smirk and raise an eye brow. Me the perv? Well it looks like some one else is in that club also. I hear Koji laugh next to me.

"Well you never know she might be some type of closet freak. You know the ones that come off as uptight typically are," he laughs. He regains his composure as a cough comes from the door. I turn to face it and feel Noni walking in.

"Ok, I have your food packed. Yosh also put together some camping supplies in case the two of you don't make it to an inn. I am actually pretty sure that there are only one or two on the way there. So at least you will have a bed roll." She shuffles her feet a bit and walks in further into the room. "Well, we should be getting to bed. It said in the message that she will be here by mid morning or early afternoon. I hope that she will at least stay the night, but you never know. It would be nice to have one more dinner together, you know?" Her voice was becoming softer as she talked. She was trying to reel in her emotions I could tell. I smile a warm smile and nod. Sometimes dealing with Noni is like dealing with a caged wild animal, you never really know if it is ok to reach out and touch her. Either she will fully engage or she will try and bite you.

"Alright. Goodnight." Koji pats me on the shoulder before he turns and heads out. I nod to him. I hear Noni begin to turn, I reach out and hold onto her shoulder.

"What's up kid?" She asks as she places her hand over mine. I hesitate for a moment then take a deep breath.

"I have a favor to ask." My voice is soft. She pulls my hand off of her shoulder and turns to face me. She makes a questioning hum as I purse my lips a bit, before letting out another deep breath. "Can you please pack some of your pictures? I mean if the surgery does work, I would like to see what my family looks like." She is quite for a minute, and I was wondering if asking for those things with, may have been too much. Then I suddenly feel her warm calloused hands on my face and she pulls me down to her level and places a kiss on my cheek.

"You stupid boy. That is not a favor. I already have them packed up for you." She pats my face a bit before letting me go. "Now get to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Noni." I reach out and pull her into a tight hug. Deciding the gamble was well worth it. I smile broadly as she returns the embrace just as tightly. "I know we don't say it enough, but thank you." I say softly as I bury my head into her shoulder. I feel her small form vibrate as she chuckles and shakes her head.

"It was a pleasure." She whispers and releases the embrace.

Sleeping was not restful. For most part I spent most of the night tossing and turning and fighting bouts of nausea created from nerves. I just wanted it to be over. The sooner I step in to Kohona and see if anyone recognizes me the better. Well or the worse. At least it would be done with, and I would be out of this "what if" purgatory that I am in.

I walk down stairs to the dinning room, surprised that everyone was already up and greeting me in a cheerful manner. I just furrow my brow and say a greeting as I take a seat at the table. I feel Yosh's hand on my shoulder and he applies a bit of pressure as he places a dish down in front of me. I turn my head and offer him a smile. It was weird that they were being so friendly. I mean, yeah we all loved each other and helped each other out, but the super cheery tones, the additional contact.. It kinda felt like, I don't know. A goodbye? I know that it was, but it felt... Permanent? I sigh then force a smile on my face as I touch my plate.

"Dango?" I turn my head towards where Yosh walked off to. He chuckled then let out a hum.

"It's the last time we will be eating together for a long time. I wanted to make your favorite. Plus I haven't made dango in a while. I also have some sweet bean buns coming out too." He walked behind me and patted my head.

"Why do I feel like this is like my last meal?" I mutter and I place some dango in my mouth... I don't know how Yosh does it, but his dango are magical. I groan loudly as I begin to chew. I am pulled from the party in my mouth by Koji snorting.

"Well it kinda is. I mean we don't know how long you are going away for. What if you don't come back?" His words started to muddle together. I know he is stuffing his face. At that moment I could not wait to have eyes to roll at him. How could I not come back here? How could he think that I would not want to see them again?

"Of course I will be back you nitwit. This is my home." I sigh leaning back in my chair and shoving the last of my dango into my mouth.

"I will hold you to it." I can hear the smirk in his voice I turn my head and smile at him.

Sakura shows up in the late morning. I had a feeling that she would show up earlier then later. She greets me with another bone crushing hug. I awkwardly pat her shoulder then try to push her off of me. Which, didn't really work well, the girl seemed to be insanely strong.

"It's so great to see you all again!" Her tone let me know that there was a large grin spread on her face. I turn in her direction and smirk at her. I had almost forgot how bubbly the girl was. Then I remember that I will be spending the next full five days with her, with out a break. I force myself to keep on smiling. I will not let myself get annoyed by her personality, not when she was offering me so much.

"You also." Noni grunts out. "Were you planning on leaving right away, or will we have your company for the night?" She asked.

"Oh, well I was thinking we would leave in a few hours, but I suppose it would not matter if we leave in the morning. Is that what you want to do Sui?" She asks as she places her hand on my upper arm. I almost forgot that she touches so much also.

"Whatever works for me. I do know that Noni was hoping we would be here for dinner."

"Well then we will stay. I can steal him away in the morning." She laughed and patted my arm. "That works anyways. I can go and collect some more herbs. So I will see you for dinner?" Her voice became louder, letting me know that she had turned in my direction. I nod in her direction. She gives my arm a squeeze then sets off.

My last day on the island moved too fast. I did my usual chores and spent time with Yosh, Noni and Koji. I really didn't want to leave, those three were all that I had left. What if something happened to them while I was gone? What if they need me and I am not here? I really don't think that I could handle that. I know I have tiptoed and danced with insanity, well that would push me off to the deep end. I can't go. No, I can't leave them.

I am brought back to myself as I feel the dish that I was washing crack in my hand. I notice that I am having a hard time breathing. When was the last time that I had a panic attack? It has been... It was the day Koji came back. I drop the dish, I can hear it shatter as it falls into the sink. My hands begin to shake tremendously, I force them to grip onto the edge of the sink. I can't get enough air. The wheezing sound fills the kitchen. My hands are still shaking.. I need to get a hold of myself.

"Sui?" Some one says but they don't sound familiar. I can't focus on them. It is like they are talking under water. "Sui." They say again. My chest is constricting, and my heart is slamming against my rib. Why can't I breath? "Sui?" This time they touch me, my body tenses under their hands.

"You need to take deep breaths. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth." I can hear them breathing in the manner that they are instructing. I try and force the breath into my nose. It won't come. Now I am panicking because I feel like my lungs have stopped working My chest is getting tighter and tighter, it's as if there is a weight on it. The air just won't come. "Sui.. Focus, focus on my touch." A hand goes over my hand and tries to pry it off of the sink. I try to relax my fingers but it's like trying to get more air into my lungs. Nothing in my body will listen to me. Slowly they pull each finger off the sink and turn my body around. I feel small hands on my on face. Their thumbs making circles on my cheeks. "There you go breath in. Now out... That's good. Just focus on me. Good. In through your nose." I struggle to do what they say, I can feel my lungs taking in more air. Slowly my breath begins to even out and the hand that was still clutching the sink relaxes. The light headed feeling was subsiding. I clench my jaw as I take another deep breath. The fingers move and begins to trace the spot where my jaw was ticking. Their grip begins to become a bit more force full as I feel some chakra entering my skin. Sakura.

"Are you ok?" She asks in a quite voice. I let out a shaky breath and nod into her hand. "Oh shit. What happened to your eye socket?" She asks as her fingers grip into my skin. I wince a bit at the force.

"I got sucker punched." I croak out. "That is kind of painful."

"Oh, sorry. Just a bit of a shock. The ridge of your frontal bone was shattered in a spot..." Her fingers once again begin to move around my face. "It was healed though? Who healed it?"

"Noni."

"Well she did very good with out formal training. Don't move. I am just going to smooth it out a bit.." She takes a step closer, I can feel her breath fanning on my face as her chakra once again entered my skin. It was a soothing feeling, ridding me of an ache that I had been ignoring. I let out a sigh as she pulled her hand away from my face. "There." She took a step back, the warmth that was radiating off of her body immediately dissipates. "Now are you ok?"

"Hn."

"Do you have attacks often?" I take a deep breath and shake my head.

"No, not often. I haven't had one in years." I lean my back against the sink.

"Do you mind me asking what it was about?" Her voice was soft, and I could hear her hesitate while asking. Which is a bit odd. She had never hesitated to ask me anything before. My hand lifts and scratches the back of my neck.

"Anxiety I suppose." I furrow my brow. "I just don't want to loose them." I shrug, I can feel the blood pooling into my cheeks as embarrassment takes over.

"Who? Noni?" She asks quickly and with no hesitation this time. I grimace and nod.

"Noni, Yosh and Koji. What if something happens while I am gone? I lost too much, I can't..." And my fucking breath is beginning to hitch again. I once again feel her hands on my face.

"Breath. Keep breathing." Her thumbs once again begin to draw circles on my cheeks. "Listen," Her voice is soft and my breathing evens out. "I am in with the Hokage, and the one that is taking over after her, and then the one after that." She laughs. "Anyways I can talk and see of they would have the shinobi that come in the area stop here at the inn. Make sure everything is fine, and report back to the village. Would that help ease your anxiety?" I still for a minute. That would certainly help, having some type of contact with them. Slowly I nod my head. "That shouldn't be a problem." I can hear the smile in her tone.

"Thank you."

"No problem at all." Her hand slid down my face to my shoulder a then she gives it a squeeze.

"Did you need anything in here?" I ask as I run my hand over my cheek. The embarrassment is creeping back up.

"Oh, yeah I actually needed some type of twine. Noni was checking some one in so she told me to just go into the kitchen and ask Yosh. That's when I saw you at the sink." I nod and walk to the other side of the kitchen and grab the twine that Yosh used when prepping some of his meats. I lift it up for a minute and then toss it to her. "Thanks." She chirps.

"Don't worry about it." I smile at the girl. She really isn't as bad as I thought she was. Yeah she can be a bubble popper, and a bit aggressive, and temperamental, but not the annoying hound that I made her in my mind.

"Well see you in a few for dinner." She called out before I heard the door the the kitchen squeal open then close.

Tonight seemed to be sake night for Noni. Thankfully she was in a good mood this time around.

"Really you should see him with those chickens! When he first started to feed them, all the kids... And YOU Yosh! They all took bets on who would come out on top!" Noni chortled as she hit the table.

"Ohh and you were never involved in that, were you Noni?" Koji snorted.

"Pft. What type of care giver do you think I am?"

"The one that starts the betting pool." I say as I raise my brow. There was a little gasp that came from her side of the table I just smirked at her. "I know how you could afford that new camera of yours."

"Eh, at least I wasn't placing bets when you kids got into with each other." She chuckled, I could hear the bottle hit her dish.

"Well Sui would have quite the savings if we bet on that." Yosh laughed.

"Wait, so you fought with the others, but a chicken got the best of you?" Sakura asked sweetly next to me.

"Listen here Sweetie, first off, it was a rooster... not a chicken. Roosters have talons. Big ,big, talons, and they are random and don't really have a ton of chakra. They can be difficult to track." I sneer next to her. She laughs at me.

"Or perhaps the chick.. Oh I mean rooster, is just a better ninja then you brother." Koji laughs. I just shake my head.

"Perhaps chickens know how to conceal their chakra, maybe they are planning on taking over the world! Hell a flower almost did it, so why not foul?" Sakura was laughing, however the rest of the table grew quite. While mentioning the past with the others was getting easier and more natural, bringing up the war was never comfortable. The silence thickened before Sakura cleared her throat. "Well I think I now know what Sai feels like when he says something that isn't socially acceptable." She sighed.

"Don't worry about. It just kinda is a bit of a taboo around here." Koji said with out any humor in his voice, which is rare. "We... We just lost half of our family. We thought we were good enough." A dry laugh left his lips. "Apparently we were wrong." I frown at him and shake my head. It seemed the sake had loosened his lips.

"No," I continue to shake my head. "You four... You were amazing. You all picked up everything so fast, you all were so strong. In war, in fighting any battle sometimes it takes one stupid mistake, or it takes one lucky shot Believe me I know." My mouth begins to dry as the words come out.

"You told us though. You warned us... We just wanted to be like you. To show you what we could do, to make you proud of us." His voice began to become tight as he talked . I lean back in my chair. I can feel the tingle in my nose letting me know that my emotions are about to catch up with me. Awesome. Emotional break down day and it just so happens when have a guest. My face flushes and I can feel it spreading down my neck.

"You never needed to be like me. I never wanted any of you to be like me. I was always proud of you all. Even if you never trained with me. I could have never asked for better people to have taken me in." I shake my head as I begin to feel my lip quiver. "Damn it Koji." I half laugh as I feel the tears leak from my ducts.

"It's not my fault you are such and emotional asshole." Koji said between sniffles.

"You're one to talk." Yosh laughed.

"Shut it Yosh, You are laughing to cover up a cry." Noni cackled.

"Don't throw stones in glass houses, sister." Yosh snorted. The table went silent besides the occasional cough or sniffle.

"So is dinner like this often?" Sakura asked quietly. I just snorted a laugh.

"What can we say? We can get emotional, however it is usually just Koji and Sui verbally sparing." Yosh laughed. I smirk at the man. I am going to miss this. I am going to miss having them around everyday.

Early the next morning I was woke to a sharp knock on my door. I rolled over and grunted as the door began to open.

"Hey it's time to get up and get going. The ferry will be here in about an hour." Sakura's hushed voice comes from the door. I groan as I sit up, roughly rubbing the heel of my palms against my sockets. "Still not a morning person." She laughs. I grunt and shake my head. No I am, nor have I ever been, a morning person. I stand up give my body a long stretch.

"I'll be ready in a half an hour." I croak out as a shiver runs up my spine. I turn to her direction. I know that she is still in the doorway. "Do you need help with anything?" I ask as I furrow my brow. The last time she woke me up she yelled I was a pervert then got flustered when she noticed that I was half nude. Now my books were packed, but I still only slept in my shorts.

"Oh, Ah, No. I will see you down in the dinning room then?" She asks as, I think, she began to play with the door. It begins to creak as she moved it back and forward. I reach for the blindfold that I kept on the post of my bed and nod while I slip it on. She makes some type of humming noise then the door finally shuts. I stand for a moment still facing the door. I let my tongue roll over my bottom lip. Things are different with her, but I couldn't really explain why. She almost seemed shy. I shake my head. I am probably reading into this too much.

Yosh made dango for breakfast once again. It was a much quieter affair then dinner was the night before. I don't know if it was due to the fact that they were all tired or because of my inevitable departure. On my part, I was quite because of nerves. In five days is when my life would really change for the better or for the worse. In five days we may be preparing for new eyes. I was overwhelmed.

Too quickly we found ourselves standing at the docks. I can't help but think of the last time that we had all gathered here. That was the last day that our family was whole. That was the day that I lost my heart and soul. I mentally shake myself. This was very different from that day. I was not going to war, no I was going to possibly open my life up in a way that I had never expected. Swallowing thickly I turned to my family and attempt to grin at them.

"Well I guess this is it." I smirk in their direction. Then suddenly I feel my body being quickly drawn into a large and hard chest. I cough as the air is knocked out of me.

"You take care Sui." Yosh's voice is strained as he holds me tightly to him. I struggle to gain my breath. "Don't you dare do anything stupid." He hisses into the crown of my head. "Do you hear me?" I struggle to say anything with the force that he is holding me. I barely manage to nod my head as he sighs and lets me go. "You girl, keep an eye on him. Make sure that he doesn't get into to much trouble." His voice was wavering as he talked, trying to control his emotions. Just as I was about to reach out to him I am pulled into another iron hug. I never knew these little arms could be so strong.

"You listen to Yosh. If you do anything stupid I will hunt you down and tan your hide." Noni said in a hushed voice. She pulled me to her harder and pulled my head to rest onto her shoulder. " Listen I am going to miss you. You better come back and see us once you have those fancy new eyes of yours." She released me and I could feel the tears welling up. I just take a deep breath and nod at her. Her hand then pulls one of mine into hers and she places a cool object into my hands. " These are all the pictures for you to look at. Her tags are also in there..." Releasing my hand she grabs onto my face. "I love you son." I still and it feels as if my heart stops. She just called me her son. While she had always referred to us as her kids she had never really vocally claimed us in that manner. The word love was also sparsely used with the woman, we knew she did, but I can only think of a couple times that she had ever said it. Come to think of it those few times she was drinking.

That was when all the self control I had over my emotions broke. I hiccuped a sob as I grabbed onto her again and pulled her to my tightly. I just took in the warmth of her body and the smell that I knew I would not come across for a while. Sea water mixed with leather, that is what she always smelled like. That smell is something that will always calm and comfort me. Resting my head on her shoulder I inhaled as I calmed the sobs. "I love you too." I said softly into her as I felt her hand rub my back.

"Well we can't stand here all day, or you will miss your boat boy." She tried to sound gruff, but she utterly failed. I just grin and sniffle my nose as I straighten myself.

"I am sorry brother, but I only allow myself a maximum of once a week to get emotional and you used that us last night." Koji laughed as he wrapped an arm around me and patted... Well no not patted, more like mildly beat my back. I just shook my head and threw an arm around his shoulder, hitting his back hard enough that he hissed at the contact. "Seriously though, send word when you are actually going to have the surgery. Perhaps one of us could come up and see you after if it isn't too busy here." He releases me from the hug. I smirk at him and nod my head.

"I can do that." I take a deep breath and turn towards Sakura. "You ready?"

"I am ready when you are."

"Let's get to it then." I turn and give everyone one last embrace and farewell. This is it. There was no turning back now.

 **Some fun information:**

 **I have written this chapter about five times. I took a break from it because a friend challenged me to to a 29 in 29. Meaning 29 pieces of art in 29 day. I took today off. Well maybe i will do something quick tonight. I am still debating. I am also on some wicked pain killers right now for strep throat. My tonsils ya'll... They were the size of ping pong balls. It was not a good look. So I am basically medicated while writing this. Which I basically re-did all of. So my apologies if it is a bit off. I am a bit off right now lol .**

 **I am pumped that we are getting to the Village of the Leaf! Honestly this is the part of the story that has been in my head since day one. *fist pump!***

 **Anywho.. Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I have no beta so I apologize for the errors. I wish that I was like a Poke-Master, but alas I just can't seem to catch them all. Fucking dyslexia also. Well you fantastical people, have a great night and fantastic weekend!**


	14. Chapter 14

We were quite for a long while. I was hoping that by actually moving that my nerves would calm, but they seem to be getting worse with each step. It was like I gained weight as I moved. It only got worse as we passed into territory that I had not been into. I furrowed my brow and shook my head. Four more days. How heavy was I going to feel by the time we get to the gates?

"Have you ever left the inn before?" Sakura asked. She is trying to break the tension, I know. I take a deep breath and shake my head.

"Well just for supply runs and fishing trips. I have been far away on the water, but never all that far on land, not since I was taken in." I say as I run my hand through my hair. It was long now, well past my shoulders and was beginning to tangle as it was blown in the wind. Perhaps I should cut it? No... I should leave it long. It was one more thing that would make recognizing me a little more difficult.

"Wow, so never been far from the coast." She said, I think it was mainly to herself. I shook my head again.

"Well I wasn't originally from this area. I was born inland. Noni adopted me when I was thirteen." What. The. Fuck. Why was I telling her this? It was like I just couldn't stop my mouth from moving. Was this the nerves?

"Oh, I just assumed that you were there when you were younger." I purse my lips and shake my head. Don't word vomit. Actually it would be best if I just stopped talking. "How did you come to be with her?"

"She found me when I was injured. She healed me then offered me a place to stay." I shrug. Ok seemed that I was not going to be able to shut up. Be vague then, that would work.

"Is that when you lost your eyes?" She asked softly. I bit the inside of my cheek and nod. "Did you lose your family then also?" Her voice was even quieter, almost soft enough to be carried away on the wind.

"In a way." I murmurer and pick up the pace a bit. It seems that she understood that I was not going to go into any more detail and that this line of questioning was over. While it made me uncomfortable talking about it, it did help distract me from my nerves.

"I know that you will miss everyone, but my team is pretty psyched to meet you." She laughed. I just turned my head in her direction and smile.

"You've been talking about me to your teammates?" I ask as I raise my brow. I can only imagine what has been said.

"Well yeah. I already told you that I was impressed with you." I stumble a bit as she hits my shoulder. I think that she meant it as a friendly tap, but it had a lot of force to it. I rub my shoulder as I straighten myself and shake my head.

"So what did you tell them about me?"

"Oh well that you are blind and you almost bested me twice. My one teammate, well he is actually the one that is really excited to meet you. The others are interested also, but just wait. You are going to be bombarded by Naruto. I apologize in advance." She laughed, but this time I could tell it was a nervous laugh. "At first he refused to believe that you are blind. Said that there was no way. Luckily I had Sai to back me up." She took a deep breath. "Anyways I am pretty sure that he is going to challenge you to a spar right away. The other two played it cool, but I know that they will want in on it too." She snorted. I furrowed my brow and licked my lips. Just how large of a team did she have? Normally it was four. So it should have been her Sai and two others.

"How many teammates do you have?"

"Weeellll technically five. Though one is off, and Kami-Sama knowns when the hell he'll be back. Then we have two captains, and Naruto and Sai. We don't always work together but we are all under the same team." Well that was weird. I had never heard of a team having so many, and two captains? Have formations really changed that much? And that name...

"Naruto? Are you talking about..." She cut in before I could even finish the question.

"Yes Uzumaki, Naruto." She sighed.

"His team..."

"Yup."

"So you are?"

"Yeah."

"The New Sannin."

"Mmmmhmmm."

It was quite for a few moments while I took in what had just been said.

"Well shit. No wonder you don't like loosing." I smile at her. She laughs and I am surprised to find that it no longer grates on my nerves. No It was actually pleasant.

"You know it was nice not being recognized. It can be a bit overwhelming." She sighs. I just nod my head. I am so fucked. I am entering the village with one of the most famous shinobi around. Then there was the fact that she was intertwined with Sasuke. I know that he is not in the village. It was common knowledge that the last Uchiha was traveling the world. Which was kinda disappointing that I would not be able to see him. It was probably for the best though.

I was hopping to gain as little attention as I could while I was in the village, but that does not seem possible. There will be much more attention on us then I had anticipated. Flying under the radar is not an option. I could turn back right now, forget that there was ever an offer. My steps begin to slow. Just turn around. Just say that this isn't going to work. Thank you but no thank you. I could go home and pretend that none of this had ever happened. Yeah I would have to deal with a bit o fall out, but that I could handle that. That seemed like the best option.

"Are you getting tired? It will be sunset soon we should probably make camp." Sakura asks next to me. I turn my head in her direction and furrow my brow. "Sui? Are you ok?" She reached out and grabbed my arm. I purse my lips and just nod at her. Well even if I am going home, there is no way that I would make it back till late tonight or early tomorrow morning. So setting camp was probably a wise idea. "OK let's go over here to your right and find a clearing." I nodded as she took my hand and lead me off of the road. We walk for a few moments before Sakura finds a space that she deems acceptable and she sets off to find firewood. I set up my sleeping area while she is gone. Just as she walked back into the area I begin to take out the kit to clean and buff my feet with. I can hear her hitting flint together and I let out a sigh. I send my chakra out and locate exactly where she is. Pulling myself up I walk to the wood pile. Placing a hand on her shoulder I pull her back gently. I reach out feeling where the wood is in front of me, then breath out a small fire ball. I hear her snort next to me and I just smirk at her.

"Showoff." She mutters. I just shake my head and go back to the spot that I was sitting earlier. "Ok, well I have ration packs and instant ramen. What delicious dinner would you like?" I frown at her and shake my head. Leaning over I open my pack and take out a scroll.

"I don't know what is in there, but Noni and Yosh packed some food. I am sure that there is going to be too much, and it will be better then a ration pack." I toss her the scroll, before going back and taking out a bristle brush and begin to brush the dirt off my feet.

"Yosh sent meals! Good deal." She laughs as she pops open the scroll. I can hear her ohhh and ahhh over what ever is in it. There is a clank of some pots and pans and soon the air smells like the kitchen back at the inn. I continue to scrub my feet. After I get most the dirt of I begin to run the pumice stone over the area's that are callousing. I pause for a moment, I can feel her staring at me. I lift my head in her direction and just cock a brow.

"How did you know I was watching you?" She laughs nervously.

"You can't feel when some one is watching you? Even some one with eyes can normally feel that." I shrug as I continue to work on my feet.

"True." I can hear her moving the food about in the pan. "I just have never seen a man take such care of his feet. Hell trying to get any of my teammates to understand proper foot care, it's like trying to teach a crow how to swim." She laughed. I just shake my head.

"Crows are actually very intelligent birds, who take good care of their feet." I give my foot one last run with the stone and switched feet. "I really don't have an option. Well I guess I do, but if I want to be able to "see" clearly I have to make sure that the skin doesn't get too calloused or thick."

"You know you never really explained to me how you can fight or move around with out a problem. " I could hear the clank of plates. I move faster wanting to have my foot care and washing up done before the food was ready.

"Ummm.. Well, I never really had to explain it before. I see through my feet, the vibrations around me. It gives me an idea of my surroundings. If I want a clearer picture then I use my chakra. Though if I don't take care of them, it's like trying to look through a heavy mist." I put the stone back into my pack and pulled out the salve that Noni makes for me and begin to rub it into my skin. I arch my brow as I turn my head in her direction. "Does that make any sense?"

"Actually yeah it does. It's kinda crazy that you can be so sensitive to that. How long did that take to pick up?" Her voice dripped with curiosity. I sigh as I pack the salve back into the bag and take out my canteen and begin to wash my hands. I hum as I try and figure out her answer.

"Well, I would say it took about two years until I was confident in my abilities. I mean I am still learning and becoming more sensitive as I go, but at the two year mark was when I could defend myself easily against most." I shrug as I shake the water from my hands.

"Two years? That's all?" She walks over and hangs a plate under my nose. I shrug again as I take the plate and begin to eat the rice with my hands. We sit in comfortable silence while we eat. I am happy that Noni thought to pack food. I remember what ration packs were like, and I think that I would rather chew on rocks then eat them. Ok, so I may have been a bit spoiled by always having Yosh's cooking.

"You know what I am really looking forward to?" Sakura takes the empty plate from me and walks a few steps away. I can hear the water hitting the metal of the plate as she rinsed the food from it. I shift and scoot back so I am leaning against a tree trunk and stretch my legs out in front of me.

"Hmmm?" I hum as I let my head lean back and rest against the rough bark.

"Sparing with you when you have your eyes. I have a feeling, that while you are impressive now, you would be a sight to see." There are sharp clinks and clanks as she placed the dishes together on the scroll then a pop fill the air. "Not that watching you fight isn't anything other then beautiful." I turn my hear quickly and snort at her.

"Beautiful? I will remind you that I am a deadly well honed weapon." I raise a brow as she laughs.

"Well even weapons are beautiful. It's like you dance when you fight. Light on your feet. It reminds me of my Sensei." That made me purse my lips and furrow my brow low.

"Dance? You think I dance when I fight?" That was not something that I have heard before. Yeah I had been told that I was hard to keep up with, but dancing? Really? Sakura laughed a bit as she walked over to me.

"It's not bad you know. It reminds me of a cat, graceful. Take it as a compliment, I have been told that I fight like a drunk rhino. When has anyone seen a drunk rhino? Anyways, It's ok to be thought of as beautiful ya know?" I cock my head slightly and purse my lips. I really don't know what to say about that. Beautiful is not a word that has been used to describe anything about me. Yes, Hisako would often tell me that I was handsome, but that was it. Not that appearances meant much to me anymore. I just took a deep breath and shake my head.

"What?" I can feel the warmth radiating off of her as she takes a seat next to me.

"Isn't that something that a man usually says to a woman?" I ran my hands on my chin and cock my brow as I roll my head in her direction. I can feel her shoulder lift as she shrugs.

"No. A man can be, and do, beautiful things. I am just telling the truth." I just let out a small grunt and rest my head against the tree.

"Hey, I was wondering if we could start your optic nerve therapy? It will take a few weeks to cultivate your eyes, but I don't know how long or how many sessions that it will take to get your socket prepared for them. I think that it would be wise to start sooner then later." I should tell her no. For all intents and purposes I intent to turn back tomorrow morning. The word just refuses to come out of my mouth. Instead I just nod, knowing that she was looking at me. Why was I letting her do this? It was a waste of her chakra.

I jump as I feel her shift then suddenly I can feel her straddling my legs. With out thinking my hands quickly reach out and grab onto thighs. My grip is tight and she lets out a small surprised yelp at my touch. I don't move, I don't breath. I have no clue how to respond to this. It had been a long time since I have had a woman straddling me. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"I am sorry, I should have told you what I was about to do. This will be the easiest position for me. It may take a little bit, and I don't want to strain my back from twisting." She says sheepishly. I can feel the warmth of her breath as she speaks. I clear my throat and remove my hands.

"Yeah, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting it." I rub my hand over my cheek, trying to stop the warming that I was feeling. I jump when I feel her hands on my face. Let's just say jumping in the position that we are in... Well, it is a little awkward. She then shifts her weight as she scoots closer to me... Her body rubbing against my groin, my hands grab onto her thighs once again. I bit back a groan from the friction. Her hands that were pulling my blindfold off still.

"Please don't move too much." My voice came out low and rough as as I furrow my brow. I notice that my breathing became shallow also. Really? am seriously getting turned on from her innocent action? I shouldn't be getting turned on at all. I have to remind myself that it was just from the touching and friction, it was completely natural. Natural, but embarrassing. I hear her take a sharp breath in as she figured out what I was implying.

"Sorry," she whispered as she finished taking my blindfold off. I clench my jaw as I feel her fingers brush my temple softly, then begin to circle the socket. After a few feathery touches her fingers began to apply more pressure as she released her chakra into me. It was odd. I could feel her searching for my optic nerve, then I could feel as her charka wound around it. There was a small pulsing sensation that spread from the back of my eye socket to the front. It also seemed to be tricking into my head. This was the weirdest thing that I have ever felt in my life. I nearly jump again as I feel her thumb slowly roll over my lashes. "You have the longest lashes I have ever seen." She murmurers and reposition's her hands once again. I just swallow not knowing what to say, or even if I should say anything. It was probably best to stay still, after all I could feel her chakra in my brain at the moment, I really didn't need her to slip up. "You'll have to be careful in Konoha, I have a feeling that the girls are going to follow you around like lost puppies. Even more so when they see you lashes." She let out a sigh. "Why does it seems that all the guys get the long beautiful eyelashes?" I just hum at her and run my tongue over my drying bottom lip. She was kinda making me feel uncomfortable. Telling me that I dance when I fight and now saying that I will have girls running after me. I honestly don't know what to do or what to say.

She finishes her healing session in relative silence, which was A-OK with me. I just sat under her and tried to ignore the heat coming from her body, or the soft breath that I felt on my face. I tried to think about anything that wasn't the woman who was sitting on me. I thought about barn duties, washing dishes, cleaning the bar after we had rowdy sumo's pass through. Anything that was far away from the situation that I was in now. I am pulled out of my domestic musings when Sakura pats my cheek a few times, her hands then go over mine and pull them off of her leg. I grimace as I realize that I was holding onto her thighs the whole time. She shifts her weight as she stands up and begins to walk away.

"I think that we are good for today. I don't want to use a lot of chakra, especially since we are camping. The sessions may be a bit longer once we are home though." I turn my head in the direction that her voice goes to. I let out a shaky breath. She said "we are home." I know it was just a slip up, and she didn't realize what she said to me. Konoha was my home. Well at least it was a long time ago. To actually hear some one say something like that, it was nice and heart wrenching at the same time. I grimace as I shake my head. What did it matter? I was turning around in the morning. And that village was not my home. It stopped being my home after it ripped the rug out from under me.

We sit and have idle chatter fir a little while. She seemed tense as she talked but I just let it go. Perhaps being so close made her feel the same way also? After a while she decided that it was time to turn down. She offered my the first shift to sleep and I didn't fight. I curled myself into the bed roll that still smelled like my home and let myself drift off.

Sakura woke me by shaking me a bit with her foot. She yawned that it was my watch and walked over to where she had set up her bed roll. I pull myself up slowly into a sitting position and yawn as I run the heels of my hands against my sockets. If there was one thing that I never missed about missions was the watch schedule. It was a pain in the ass, and it was even worse when there were only two people. You would barely get any sleep. If I had to choose between a one man mission and a two, I would always choose the one. At least then you could sleep the whole night and not have to worry about splitting up shifts so you could watch over your partner. Even a full night of light sleep was better then only having four hours or less in a deep slumber. I snort as I realized how very spoiled my civilian life has left me.

Standing I stretch, making a multitude of joints pop and crack and let out another long yawn. I meander to my pack and take out the water canteen and drink greedily. Feeling a bit more awake I sit down at the base of the tree where Sakura started my therapy. I begin to send out my chakra in timed waves, searching for anything that could be deemed a threat.

So nothing really happened while I was on watch. Just a couple of animals passing by and that was about it. I begin to feel the temperature change slightly, as the sun was beginning to come up. I honestly had no idea how long I let Sakura sleep for, I just know it felt like eternity. It was not often that I was bored, but now I was almost in tears because of it. I decide that I was going to pack my supplies and once I was finished I would go and wake up the snoring girl.

Before I was even finished packing my attention was drawn to the sky. A flock of birds must have gotten spooked by something, they flew urgently out of the trees, chirping wildly. I furrow my brow and begin to send out chakra to investigate. I jump and grab onto a kunia from my pouch as I hear an ear piercing scream. I flare my chakra, but I couldn't feel anything around us. The screaming continues and I hurry over to where Sakura was sleeping. She is the one that was screaming, when she stops the sound of cloth rustling takes over. I kneel down next her her and place a hand onto her shoulder. Her screaming intensifies as I give her a shake.

"Sakura." I say as I give her another shake, I know that it isn't working since she replies with another blood curdling scream. I tighten my grip onto her should and shake her hard. This time I yell out her name. The screaming stops, and she begins to shift under my hand as she attempts to sit up. She is gulping for air and her body had started to shake. "Remember what you told me. In through your mouth." my hand trails from her shoulder to the side of her face. Cupping her cheek with one hand I let my thumbs make circles on her skin. It was soft and warm to the touch. After a few moments her breath began to even out. Her hand goes over the one that I have on her cheek and she squeezes it.

"Are you ok?" I ask in a soft voice. She nods her head into my hand and lets out a rough hum. With out even thinking my fingers begin to trace her jaw, letting me know a little of what she may look like. When I realize what I am doing I still my hand and begin to pull away from her. Her fingers grip tightly on to mine and I can feel her shake her head.

"It's ok. Go ahead and take a look, it's only fair since I know what you look like." Her voice is rough from the screaming, but she pulls my other hand and places it on the other side of her cheek. I find myself wetting my lips with my tongue and swallowing as I let my fingers move over her features. I hesitate a bit, honestly this is far more intimate then I have been with many people. The only people that ever had me look at them in this way were Hisako and Yumma.

I first let my touch go back on her jaw, until I felt her ears. I then run them around her hairline, her face was a bit fuller then I had expected it to be. Once I at the crown of her head I trace the slope of her forehead and feel her brow bone. Her eyes seemed to be large, and I don't know what she was rambling on about with lashes, hers felt long and thick. My fingers glide over her lids as I begin to trace her nose. It was small and there was a small upturn at the tip of it. As my fingers began to trace her lips I could feel her breath hitch. I fought the smirk that wanted to spread on my face, instead I just focused on what I was touching. Her top lip was a bit thinner then her bottom, but still seemed full. They also felt soft. I stilled as I touched her bottom lip, this mouth that let out laughs that sounded like Hisako, also felt so much like hers. I frowned a bit as I let my thumb pass over the soft skin. Her mouth parted at the touch and I could feel her let a breath out. I missed feeling this. I missed this kind of touch.

Shaking my head I dropped my hands down into my lap and just take a deep breath. "You are pretty." I try to smile at her. She lets out a breathy laugh.

"Thank you Sui." I nod my head at her.

"No problem. Just telling the truth." Well most of it. I thought that she was beautiful, but I just couldn't bring myself to say that. I had not said that to anyone in over two years.

"Well that was more intense then I thought it would be." She laughed, she began to move out of her sleep sack and the rustling sound of the blankets moving filled the air. I just shook my head and began to move back to the area where my belonging where. "We should get going soon. I saw that Yosh packed some buns of some sort, we should just eat those on the go. Does that work for you?" She asked as I could hear her gather her belonging.I sigh as I begin to to roll up my sleeping roll.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you..." I stuff the roll and the traveling scrolls that where next to it into my pack.

"Are you ok?" She must have stilled, since I can't hear any movement. I grimace as I try and think about what I needed to say.

"I am fine. It's just that... I just.. I think that this may not be the wisest idea." I frown as I hear her take a deep breath.

"What do you think isn't the wisest idea?" Her voice suddenly got a bit louder, she was walking towards me.

"Going with you."

"What? Why?" Now she was right next to me. I can feel her eyes drilling into my face. I scratch my head as I let out a long sigh.

"It's just that I am not the type of person that likes attention. You, well you are a legend and very famous. I just don't think that I would want to be pulled into something like that." I bit the side of my cheek as I purposely turn my head in the other direction.

"Wait? this is because I am well known?" I just nod my head. "There is nothing to worry about there." I snort a bit and furrow my brow. "No I am serious. I get the most attention when I am out of the village. When I am at home no one minds me any more attention then they would do for anyone else. You don't have to worry about it. I can promise you that there isn't going to be a scene. Well that is unless you make one. I mean if you walked up into Konoha and yell something like: "Hello Village of the Hidden Leaf. I have come to see the medical genius that is Sakura! She has figured out a way to relieve me of my blindness." She mockingly lowers her voice as she talks. "I mean you were not planning something like that. Are you? Because even if that is the truth, it may be embarrassing for me also." She laughed and nudged my shoulder with hers.

"No." I shake my head as I regain my balance.

"Listen people will only be interested in you if you give them something to be interested in. So if you don't make a scene, you will go unnoticed. Also, I get more people on the road that are interested in me then I do at home. At home they are use to seeing me, and seeing me with a lot of different people." I can hear her start to shuffle away. I just let out a dry laugh and shake my head.

"Because no one is interested in some on that will be having new eyes places in their head."

"Oh, well... The only people that know about that are the Hokage, since she was helping with the research, and my team. The only reason my team knows is because we talk about everything, and my everything just happens to be a lot of medical stuff. I am pretty sure that they don't really care one way or another." She stated with a sigh. "You are over thinking this. Do you want to see again?"n I frown at the question, she knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Then all you have to do is come with me. I promised Yosh that I would look after you, and I keep my promises. It's a part of my ninja way. If you want to I will make sure that you will not be made a spectacle. I know you don't know me very well, but I want you to trust me." She walked back to me I hear her clothes rustle as she more then likely adjusted her pack.

"Why? Why are you going so far out of the way for me." Besides the family that I had at the inn, I have found it rare that people were nice to other people for no reason. Yes she seemed nice, but to offer everything that she was with no payment on my part. That question had been bothering me since she had left the first time.

"So I will admit that it is a bit selfish. I saw something once and quite frankly it pissed me off." She huffed then grew quite for a moment. "On my team I am the medic. That was the one thing that set me apart. Made me equal to them. Well during the war, Naruto... Well he gained all this power and new abilities. Our sensei, he lost his eye, and up comes Naruto and replaced it. Like it was the easiest thing to do. As a medic, and a top rate on at that, it made me jealous. And I am not trying to brag, but I know I am good at what I do. Anyways, after the war I got it into my head that I would be able to replace some one's eyes. That I would prove that I could do it also, it may not be instant, but I could do it. So I have been researching it for two years and basically figured it out. The only thing that was left was to find some one that needed it. There was no one in my village, then I decided to take a break and travel gathering things we needed back home. That was when a blind man attempted to kill me." She chuckled as she placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. I couldn't help the smirk that pulled at my lips. "As I spent time with you, I realized that you are a good person, and that I could give this to you. That I could possibly help you. So I offered. It is a win win if you think about it."

"So you asked me because you needed a lab rat." I raised my brown as I turned my head in her direction a teasing tone in my words. She let out a sigh then poked me in the chest.

"I asked you because I thought that it is something you might want." There was a pause. "Do you want it?" I pursed my lips and took in a deep breath.

"Yes I want it." I breathed out. She brought her hand to my face and patted it gently.

"You are moody." I could hear the smile in her voice. I just raise a brow as swat her hand away. "No it's true. I don't really know how to read you. I mean one moment you are flirty, the next aloof, the next joking, closed down then you open up. It's like a roller coaster with you, ya know." I just stand there. I really don't have a good explanation for her. I can't tell her really why I was acting so random, so I just shrug.

"Yosh said we can be emotional." She snorts then begins to walk away.

"Well we should get going Sui-chan. We have a lot of road to cover today." She raises her voice as she shouts back at me. I frown... ok so maybe I pout, in her direction. Chan? Really? I walk quickly to catch up with her.

"You just suffixed me."

"That I did."

"You just suffixed me, with chan."

"You are correct."

"Chan!?"

"Aww because you are soo cute Sui-chan." She bumps her shoulder into me again as we walk. I scowl at her, but then begin to smirk.

"Awww thanks Sakura-Kun." I laugh as I hear her scoff.

"Well that backfired." She mumbled to herself. I just lift my head as we walk, the smirk still on my lips.

"Well you did say that you were like a rhino, and those aren't really as chan type of animal are they?" I can hear her growl lowly and speed up her step. I just hum and follow.

The next few days that we traveled went smoothly. The only hiccup seemed to be when there was a large flock of birds in the morning. For whatever reason it always set her off when she is sleeping, she would awake with screams. I tried to ask her about it, but she would always brush me off saying that she was fine. There was also few times I was prepared to turn around, to say fuck it all, but Sakura always talked me down and some how got me to keep moving forward. Of course I wanted to see, wanted it so bad that i could feel phantom eyes under my lids. That was a feeling that I had for years, and now it was back. I had to remind myself that I could do this. I could face my past... and my future. Come what may.

"We are coming up on the gates." Sakura chirped next to me. I swallowed thickly but kept my feet moving. This was it. This was what I had been dreading for the past few months. Just keep moving, just keep moving.

As we walked into the village she steers us to the side. Ahh, yes she is checking in. I just stand besides her and try not to shift on my feet. The biggest thing that I notice was that it was loud. So much louder then I had remembered it. There were birds happily chirping, the sounds of people all around, the screams of children playing. I thought that it would be like the village by the shore, but it must have been tiny compared to here. I really felt the urge to look around with chakra but I reigned in the feeling, probably wasn't wise to do so in a village full of ninja. No, so instead I try to focus on the vibrations. It was overwhelming. Not like when Sakura shattered the earth, but there was so much motion. It was only early morning and already so much motion.I hardly notice that I was frowning and my brows were knitting together.

"Hey you doing alright man?" Some one said, I turn my head in the direction on the voice and give a curt nod. "Alright, well I just need you to sign this paper." I just stand there and lift my hand. I stay there for a few moments waiting for the document before I hear a huff, then the paper was in my hand. I felt a pen pushed into my other hand that was on my side. I just stand there dumbly. I never had to sign for anything since I had lost my eyes.

"Seriously Izumo, you are suppose to be the smart one." Sakura huffed. "Here just sign here." Sakura said as she lifted my hand to the paper. I scratch out what I think was my nick name and Noni's surname. Thought I am pretty sure that it just looked like scribbles. "He can't see you idiot. All you do is stand there and stare." I take a deep breath as I try and calm the overwhelming feeling that he recognizes me. Because I remember him. He was the gate guard when I left. I turn and shift a bit closer to Sakura.

"Sorry Sakura-chan. I got distracted." The man sighed. I could hear her shift a bit before her made one of her oh so lady like snorts.

"You were watching Tenten jog weren't you?" Her voice dripped with contempt.

"Ummmm." There was a light sound of feet dragging on the road as Sakura let out a drawn out sigh.

"Pervs. I swear all of you are such pervs. Come on Sui lets get you to your inn." She said as she grabbed onto my upper arm and began to drag me away. I sighed in relief as we walked away from the gates. One person who didn't recognize me down. Maybe it wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

Sakura lead me and grumbled as we went. There was a moment that she dropped her hand from my arm. I reached out and took her hand. It was hard for me to see in with the cities constant vibrations on not wanting to use my chakra. I could tell that she was a bit taken back by my movement as she stopped for a second.

"Sorry, having a hard time with the new environment." I mutter, she just gives my hand a light squeeze before she began to walk again.

We walk silently through the village. It was so odd that it felt so incredibly foreign to me. The smells, the sounds, the vibrations, I could not put them together with the village from my memories. Though I would not have noticed those details when I was younger. Well not enough to put them into my memory it seems. Suddenly I felt a massive vibration wave. I tense and grip onto Sakura's hand a bit tighter. She slows her pace a but. The vibrations just keep on rolling over and over.

"Are you ok?" I can hear the confusion in her voice, suddenly the air is filled with muffled booms that cause me to jump a bit.

"What is that?" I ask as I shift my feet to see if the vibrations are all over.

"What?" She takes a step closer to me, I just furrow my brow and frown.

"There are strong vibrations, and didn't you hear the noise?" There was a pause as she listened. A moment later there was another muffled boom.

"You can feel that?" She asked surprised.

"Yes, everything is vibrating. More so then when we walked in." I run my free hand through my hair. "It's like when there were strong storms rolling on off of the sea." I muse.

"Well, the noise is from the training grounds, and more then likely the vibrations also. It's around nine, that is when team seven usually spars. It can get a bit out of hand." She laughs as she begins to pull my hand. I follow after her, distracted still by the vibrations. "I can't believe that you can feel that all the way out here. They have to be a good five miles from here."

"This whole village is vibrating. The moment we were close I could feel all the movement. It's going to be hard to move." I say as my frown deepens. It had been a long time since I needed help moving around. It was not something that I wanted to return to. I did not like the feeling of helplessness that was washing over me.

"I'll be here to help you out." Sakura breathed. She lead me for another ten minutes or so. We walked into a building an the smell of mildew filled the air. I turned in her direction and raised a brow. Where were we?

"Hello there, I have a reservation for Hurano Sakura." She said in a cheerful voice and dropped my hand. Oh no, this isn't were I was staying was it. I breathed in deeply again as the mildew smell filled my nose. I scrunched it as I took a step back.

"Ahhh yes. This is the last open room." A gravely voice said. "402, here is the key. You have it booked for at least three months." I hear a tapping noise and a grunt.

"That would be correct." There was something sliding against a surface. Sakura thanked him and led me to a stair case. We climbed up to the fourth floor. My head felt light as we climbed further and further away from the ground. The last time I was this high had been when I fought Yasha. It still didn't feel good to be so elevated. We walked down the hall, stopping not far from the stair well, then I heard the sound of a key going into a door. Then there was a few moments of door jiggling before a high pitched screech filled the air. That was before the smell. If I thought that the lobby was bad...

"Oh gods." Sakura breathed as she let go of my hand and walked in. "What the hell is this?" I just stood in the doorway. I know that a puzzled look was on my face. I could hear her walking around the room, then there was the sounds of cloths shifting. "What the hell?" She was becoming more irate the more she moved. I took a hesitant step in, the smell just got worse. I don't even really know how to explain it. Mildew mixed with the smell of stale body odor, add a bit of alcohol, with smoke on top... Then the mystery smell that I could not place, and I don't think that I wanted to know what it was. "You can't stay here." She threw something down with a thud. "All of these places were built less then four years ago. How can it be this... like this?" she huffed. I just placed a hand over the shoulder strap of my pack and shifted it a bit.

"I'll be ok." I said with a bit of a grimace. No I didn't want to stay here, but I didn't want to burden the girl anymore.

"Ohh no you can not!" She stomped over at me. "No you will get some type of infection here."

"I thought that the surgery wasn't for a while, I mean I can find another place by then."

"It isn't for a while, but the therapy for your optic nerved and eyelids are going to make them raw, and I need you to have pillows that have been washed more then once a year. I am pretty sure that these did not start out brown." I cringed at that. "I also am pretty sure that there is some type of small bug infestation." She sighed as she walked up to me. "This was the only place that had a vacancy for three weeks. The village is going to be full for the festival." I chewed the inside of my cheek as I took in the situation. There had to be something.

"You checked all the inns? There has to be something."

"No there isn't. The inn I wanted to set you up with was right near my apartment, this was the last place. Which now I know why." There was a pause and I could hear her tapping her foot out of frustration. "This is not ideal I know, but you'll just have to stay with me." I frown and I furrow my brow. I don't know how to feel about that. "I know, I am sorry. But it will just be till I can find another place. Perhaps some one will have a cancellation, but for now you can stay in my spare room. I mean it won't be that much different then the inn. Just you'll be staying where I live." She offered a dry laugh. I tried to think of the options that I had, and unless I wanted to camp out in the training fields, this was it. I sighed and I nodded at her. Hopefully she wasn't on the top floor of her complex.

We walked down the stairs and I decide that I would wait for her outside. The smell was beginning to make my head ache and my stomach turn. I was leaning against the building when I started to hear yelling coming with in. Shortly after there was a tremble in the building, I shook my head a bit. The door next to me opened then slammed shut. Sakura grabbed my hand and huffed as she stomped away from the inn.

"He didn't want to refund me the money! Can you believe that! Slum lord, that is what he is!" Her hand began to tighten on my fingers, I grimaced as I started to feel popping in them. I was well aware by now that she was known for her strength, but it was still a bit shocking that small person can break bones with just gripping them.

"That is beginning to get painful." I tried to pull my hand our of hers just to have her grip harder, now my hand is beginning to pulse.

"Oh shit I am sorry." She loosens her fingers and slows down "I am really sorry I wasn't thinking." I nod at her and try to ignore that aching of my hand.

"It's fine, just no more pressure please." I laugh and she lets out a breathy sigh.

"Sorry." She leads me farther into the village and into more densely populated areas. I can't remember the lay out, and I have no clue were it was she was taking me. Even if I could feel properly with vibrations and chakra, I would be lost. I don't know if the village is laid out different, or if I had really forgotten. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I should be focusing on learning my surroundings, not reminiscing on past memories.

After walking for ten minutes I all but give up on learning the lay out. No she was zig zagging and turning so much that I couldn't follow. The vibrations were really also not helping at all. How was I ever going to figure this out? Then I had to remind myself that it will be very different when I had eyes. Then again it will probably be months before that happens.

"Forehead!" I jump as a shrill voice yells from behind me. Sakura stops and I nearly bump into her. She lets out a sigh as she turns to face me and who ever was behind me.

"What do you want Ino Pig?"

"Jeeze wake up on the wrong side of the bed billboard brow?" I frown at the voice behind me. Forehead? Billboard brow? I didn't think that Sakura had a large forehead, at least it didn't feel that way when I touched it.

"No, just some slum lord tried to swindle me." She huffed. "What can I do for you pig?"

"Oh, nothing for me. Though Tsunade said that if anyone ran into to tell you that she was looking for you." I try to shift out the way, feeling awkward being in the center of the two girls conversation. Sakura sighs again and drops my hand.

"I just got in the village." She growled out.

"Well it isn't my fault, so let's not jutsu the messenger. Though she did just start drinking so either you go now before she is too drunk, or you could wait till she is smashed.." The other girl laughed. I just raised a brow. I mean I had heard that the Hokage was a bit of a drinker, but I just thought it was silly gossip. How the hell can you run a village while drinking in the beginning of the day? Sakura let out another annoyed sigh.

"What are you doing now Ino?" All annoyance was dropped from her voice as she asked her friend the question in a sweet tone.

"Nothin right now. Though I was going to go out with Sai later after your team destroys their training field." She replied in a bored tone.

"Can you do me a favor."

"Depends."

"I'll buy you mochi."

"I am on a diet."

"Diet mochi then."

There was a pause. This was beginning to feel really awkward for me. I didn't know what to do with myself so I just shifted a but and acted like I was distracted by a noise off to the left of me.

"Fine." The other girl sighed.

"Thank you. Ino this is Sui. He's going to be staying with me for a while. Can you possibly take him to my apartment and show him where the spare bedroom is and help him get settled." There was another pause in the conversation. I could feel their eyes on me. I smirked and lifted my hand to out to her. She took it in a firmer grip then I was expecting and gave it a shake.

"Aww Forehead! You didn't tell me you were going to have a _**friend**_ staying with you." I could hear the smile in the girls voice, especially when she put emphasis on friend. i don't know whether to smirk or scowl as Sakura scoffs at the innuendo.

"Yes Ino, a friend. He was going to stay at the double dragon inn..."

"Oh no, I wouldn't even put the Akatsuki in that place."

"Yeah I didn't realize it was that bad.." Sakura trailed off for a moment. "Anyways, so can you? I would prefer to deal with a semi sober hokage. If she has too many she always makes me have a drinking competition with her, and I don't think that I am up to it." Her clothes shifted as she shifted her weight. I just stood there. I don't really want to go off with some strange girl, but who am I to make any demands?

"Fine, but you owe me." The other woman bit out. Great, not only a stranger but one that doesn't really want to help me. Perhaps the dingy inn would have been a better choice at this point.

"Yeah some Mochi." Sakura grumbled. "Sorry, Sui-chan. I'll try and be back soon, then we can get something to eat." She softened her voice. I still scowl at her for the suffix but I nod my head to her.

"No problem Sakura-kun. I'll be there when you get back." I smirk as she snorts at my reply. She really should give up the chan.

"Thanks Pig." Thought I guess chan isn't as bad as that nick name. "I'll see you soon Sui." I can hear her feet thumping quickly on the ground as she begins to run off. I turn in the direction of the other girl and give a weak smile.

"Alright let's get going." She says as she begins to walk away. She walked away with out me holding onto her. I try and catch her, but I bump into several people and I can't tell who is who. I stop and try and sense her. Nothing. Fantastic the girl has seemed to disappear and I have no clue where I am going.

"Fucking fantastic."


	15. Chapter 15

I feel my stomach drop as I really realize the situation that I as in. I was lost. This had not happened to me in a long time. The most ironic part was being lost in my home village. The place that I spent half of my life and knew like the back of my hand, now is completely unfamiliar to me. I am lost because that girl.. Pig something... somehow didn't notice my ocular disability. I snort to myself as the word disability ran through my head. No I am not disabled. I may not be able to see but I was still a ninja. I could figure this out. If I can figure out how to fight with out vision I sure as hell could figure out how to track that girl down, or find Sakura's apartment. Inhaling I puff out my chest and send out my chakra to look for Pig girls.

So probably not the best idea. The moment I began to search there were six chakra flares around me. Big chakra too. Sighing and roughly rubbing my hand over my forehead I reel my chakra back in. No need to make any shinobi jumpy. I stand where I was left, with the occasional person bumping into me.. Still the vibrations from all the people are overwhelming. I can't separate them enough to feel when some one is approaching. Hence getting bumped into yet again. I shift my weight trying to determine what to do when I feel some familiar chakra around. I know them, how do I know them? I fight the urge to investigate more. Shuffling my feet I turn in the direction of the familiar signatures.

I furrow my brow and my mouth pulls into a frown as I realize that the chakra has stopped, about forty feet away. They are not moving. Where do I know them from? I don't know but I feel like I have eyes on me, like they are just standing and staring. I swallow thickly as I feel my heart begin to beat harder. It's over. They know me, and somehow I know them. I force myself to keep my breathing even as I lift my chin in their direction. I will not cower. If I am found or recognize I will not tuck tail. I did nothing wrong... I know that is not how the village will see it. They will see me abandoning the village, and if they caught wind of me training the kids, well that probably wouldn't go over well. Especially if those old wind bags are on the council. No they would just see that I never returned. I shake my head slightly and focus once again on the familiar signatures. They still haven't moved, thought they seemed to be struggling with wanting to conceal themselves or not. They keep on flickering in strength. Seems that we are at a stale mate. I know they are there, and I am positive that they know I know. Well, someone should make a move, and might as well be me. Taking a deep breath and maybe grimacing a bit I begin to step towards them.

"There you are!" A hand grasps onto my arm and spins me away. The girl huffs as she digs a finger into my chest. "You were suppose to follow me." She's annoyed, if not for her talon pressing into my flesh, then her tone would have let me know. I sigh and check the familiar chakra to only have lost track of them. Damn it, I really wanted to know who it was who was watching me. The grip on my arm tightens and I turn my head back towards the girl. "Are you paying attention?" She snorts. Her nick name fits her well at this point. I snort back at her.

"Helps if you would have guided me a bit." I tilt my head and tap on my blind fold with my free hand.

"What? Oh...Ohhhhhhh. How the hell did I miss that?" She laughs nervously as the situation dawns on her. "Well I am living up to my natural color it seems." I just cock a brow at her. "Blonde, I am blonde... Naturally.. And I am usually pretty perceptive and smart, so no not all blondes are dumb you know." Her grip tightens on my arm as she growls out the last part. I fight a wince as I feel her nails digging into my flesh.

"I am sure you are brilliant in your own way, blondie." I smirk at her, and her hand finally loosens.

"Damn right I am." I can hear her raising her head and puffing out her chest with the comment. " Anyways let's get going." She turned quickly keeping her hand on my arm, her hair whipped in my face and into my mouth. I stumble after her, pulling the hair out of my teeth. She just huffs and pulls me harder mumbling something about needing to get ready for something.

She walks through the village as quick as Sakura. I honestly have no clue as to where I am, as she keeps on making quick turns and darts in all different directions. As the morning wore on the streets became busier and busier. Had Konoha always been so populated? I do recall busy markets, but the amount of bodies that are around me, I can't say that I remember this. Though then again most of the time in the village was spent around the Uchiha district, which only held a fraction of the populace. I was jarred from my musing as the girl drags me to a stair case... And did not tell me that we were going to be walking down it. I stumble as my foot doesn't meet the ground. Reaching out on instinct I grab onto the girl in front of me and sent us tumbling down. Thank the spirits that it was only a few stairs and not a long way down. I wince as I hear an angry growl come from the body under me. Quickly I push myself off of her then offer my hand to her. She huffs but grabs it then pulls herself up.

"Sorry about that." I grimace as I run my hand through my hair. While the fall wasn't that bad or me, I am sure it was worse for her. Seeing how I inadvertently used her body to soften my fall. She shuffles next to me, there was a moment of silence that was then broke by the brushing sounds of hands running over fabric.

"It's fine." She groused. It was most definitely not fine, but if she was going to let it go, then I would not push it. "I should have told you there was a step." That was true also. "Well, come on. I doubt you just want to stand in the hallway all day. Her apartment is three doors down." I nod as she takes my hand.

A wave of relief floods my body and my muscles begin to relax as we walk into the apartment. She was not only on the bottom floor, but a sub floor. Being a few feet under the ground with concrete under my feet has made the vibrations of the village lessen. It was basically like walking into a quite room after having to deal with rowdy children. It was blissful. I was probably standing in the room with a stupid smile just relishing the quite in my skin. I just couldn't care what the girl thought of me.

"So you just going to stand there or do you want me to show you around?" I just smile and nod. "You are in luck. Sakura's place is tiny, so it should be easy for you to memorize the lay out. The room that you are standing in is the living room. Take a few steps forward and you would run into the coffee table and behind that is the couch..." She then took me around the room allowing me to feel my way around. It was surprising that she was being so thorough, seeing how twice in less then twenty minutes she had forgotten that I needed her assistance. Perhaps she was trying to make it up?

She was right, the apartment was quite small, and it didn't take long for me to familiarize myself with it. Once she was done with the tour and set me up in the spare room, my stomach felt the need to make it known that it was time to eat. The woman laughed as I frowned at the rather loud nose that echoed in my small room.

"I know Sakura said that you would get something to eat, but sometimes a meeting with the Hokage can go pretty long. Why don't we see what she has to eat?" She asks as she began to walk past me and into the main rooms of the dwelling. I toss the my bag onto the bed then follow her out.

"Does she have a lot of plants in here?" I as as I take a deep breath in. There was a smell that was earthy. There was also a the stagnate smell of some type of incense that hung in the air. It wasn't unpleasant, just not what I would have thought of the girl.

"Yes, there are a lot of plants. I suggest that you not really touch them though, some are poisonous, others have acid in them. Best to let them be." Her voice was muffled as she walked about the kitchen. I purse my lips and nod. Awesome surrounded by deadly plants and I have no clue where they are located... Did she say acid?

"Acid?"

"Yeah pitcher plants. She does a lot of research with all different plants. She tends to really take her work home. You know, the girl really needs to get some type of life, you know?" She huffed as she slammed a few doors open and shut. "Well it seems that there is rice, soy, and some instant ramen." I frown as I walk to the direction of her voice.

"I thought she was a medic... Certainly she must have something healthy.. Canned fruit or something?" A snort just fills the air.

"Yeah she is a medic and a hell of a busy one. Plus she is a ninja, making her even more busy. Not everyone has time for. cooking. I know being a civilian..." At that I snorted. This girl knew nothing of me. " it may be hard to grasp ." Her voice dropped a few octaves. I just shook my head.

"Even shinobi have to eat. It's not just an affliction of the civilian persuasion." I cock my head and raise an eye brow. We stood for a few moments in strained silence. I really was not attacking Sakura, I was just surprised that a medic would only have that in her pantry. I remember being lectured by many a medics about proper nutrition, though perhaps they are more of a "do as I say, not what I do" breed. My stomach once again announces that it was time to tend it and I let out a drawn out sigh. I was going to have to do something about it. "I am sorry I have forgotten your name." I say as I sheepishly rub the back of my neck. She snorts at me again.

"Ino," she ground out.

"I apologize Ino-chan." I smile at her. Another snort... Now I definitely believe that her nick name fits. "You have been so kind bringing me here, but can I ask one last thing of you?"

"Depends." Typical shinobi, always bartering or trading favors.

"I am sure that you are hungry, and if you take me to the market and help me get some groceries, then I will prepare a late breakfast. Or early lunch"

"You make food?" Her clothes brush against her as she shifts her weight. I fight the frown that wants to pull at my face.

"Yes. Me. Making food. Good food also. Plus it will make up for you letting me fall down the stairs.." I really hated that I needed to ask her for help, but what other choice did I have? Well I could eat cup-o-noodles, though that really was the last food that I wanted to eat at the moment. It was also wasn't that I was acting snobbish with the food, but it would also be nice for Sakura to come home to a meal. Nope, not snobbish at all.

"Hmmm, well... I think that I will have to see this to believe it." Her words were laced with sarcasm. What was there to be sarcastic about? Everyone had to eat. Was it really so surprising that a blind person would know how to cook?

She lead me once again through the maze that was the streets of Konoha. It was just as dizzying as the first time. She took me through the stands lining the streets, stopping and letting my know what produce was available. I was more then grateful that she had decided to help me, as twice the sellers had decided to try and swindle me. A low growl from the girl and immediately they corrected themselves. The last stop was a small store for proteins and dairy items. I walked in and immediately felt the relief of having concrete under my feet. While I could still feel the vibrations they were not nearly as strong. I let out a sigh as Ino drug me to the counter.

I had already told her what I would like to buy while we walked here, so I just stood behind her while she completed the order. I was relishing in the quite of my feet so much so that I didn't notice that I was being yelled at, that was until a large bang filled the air.

"I SAID YOU NEED TO LEAVE!"A man yelled out in front of me. I pulled my brows and cocked my head. What was up with him?

"Me?" I croaked out, the confusion that I was feeling was apparent in my question.

"Yeah who else is in here with out shoes?" He barked at me. I shuffled my feet a bit surprised that it was an issue. No one in the fishing village ever had an issue with my bare feet. Yes occasionally some one would make a comment but I had never been told to leave.

"Why?" I ask as I scratch my chin. While I obviously can't see, I some how have picked up chin scratching from Yosh.

"I don't want people bare foot in my shop. We are civilized here, and not barbarians." My brows furrow even further as my mouth turns down into a frown. So I was uncivilized. I see how it is. I reach out for Ino with all intents of leaving but once my hand wraps around her arm she shrugs me off.

"Are you kidding me Sota? You have nin animals in here all the time, but you will not allow him to walk in because of no shoes?" I raise my brow at the venom that laces her words.

"Nin animals are the exception. I am sure you understand that Yamanaka-san. I don't deal with these type." I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks as the anger began to grow. I have no clue what the asshole was talking about, but I am positive that it was nothing good. Ino stepped closer to me so much so that her shoulder was brushing against mine, her tongue clicked at she shifted her weight once more.

"And what type are those? I am unaware that there are different types of paying customers." She hissed.

"It is really none of your concern, but I would rather not deal with beggars that think that they can get free stuff because they just so happened to be disabled. Find a way to make a living." My jaw dropped. I stood there with my mouth opened unsure of what to do or say. I have a feeling that Ino was in much the same state I was. Though the girl regained her composure quicker then I.

"This is my concern, Sota, because he is with me. We are shopping together, as Haruno-hime asked me to help HER guest get settled." She scoffed. "I really can't believe what I just heard come from your mouth. Do you often send people away? People with disabilities, most that gained those fighting for your safety? You know what fuck this shop. We will got to Kiko's." She grabbed my arm and started to pull me away then suddenly stopped. "Oh and I think that all the restaurants that order from you may hear of your policy. I know a tleast five that have some one that is disabled in the family, and all the catering businesses that deal with the flower shop. Good day to you Sota. Enjoy you store while you have the chance." She then whipped back around and dragged me out of the store.

I have no clue what to say at this point. I have never been discriminated before based on my condition. I have heard about it happening before I just never experienced it. It was a long time since I had to deal with something like that.

"I am sorry about that. I didn't realize how big of a douche he was. A pain in the ass, I was well aware of, but to out right judge." She huffed as her pace began to slow. "And you had a pretty large order, he lost out on a decent amount of coin."

"I have never had that happen." I murmur. I wonder how truly homeless I look. I know that most of my clothes ran large, but they were always clean and in good shape. "So do I look like a beggar?" I ask as I shrug my shoulders.

"Well not exactly. I mean you are not going to win any fashion awards, but you don't look like you just got off of a long mission or anything." I could hear her take a deep breath as she came to a halt. Once again I nearly bump into her. "Don't pay attention to him. He doesn't know what he is talking about. Let's hurry up and get to Kiko's. I am hungry and you own me food." I smile and nod to her as she began to pull me through the village to the new shop.

Thankfully there was no problems in the other shop that we went to. We gathered what we needed and quickly made our way back to Sakura's apartment. I focused as we walked back, seeing how this was the shop that I would want to go to to get my groceries while I was here. Am I sure that I knew the location... Well no, but I had a general idea of where it was, and that provided a small comfort. At least I knew where one place was in the village.

Ino opened the door and we walked in placing the bags on the counters of the kitchen. I could hear her rustling through the produce and before I could even think about it my hand was over hers and I was shaking my head.

"Let me put the food away." She stilled under my hand but didn't reply. I could feel her gaze on me and I smiled at her. "I need to know where everything is, so it will be best if I put it away."

"Oh, ok." She said softly as she withdrew her hand away from the bags.

"But you could let me know the state of the refrigerator. Is it clean or does it need to be wiped down first?" I ask as I begin to fish through the bags, pulling out all the fruit and putting it to the side.

"You are good there, Sakura keeps everything pretty tidy." I hear the sound of a chair scrapping against the floor, good she is sitting out of my way. The last thing that I needed was to have some one hovering over me. I separated the groceries and place them into the fridge in much the same set up that we kept at the inn. The space was a little smaller, but I could make due. There only needed to be enough for the two of us, and not a restaurant after all. After putting everything in it's respective places I feel for the sink and begin to wash my hands.

"What are you in the mood for?" I ask as I turn my head in the direction that Ino was sitting.

"Hmmm, I am not really that picky. So what ever is easiest for you." Her voice is distracted then I hear the sound of paper flipping, she must be reading a book or magazine. Shaking me head at her distraction I begin to gather the produce that was needed for ginger salmon, rice and omelets. I stop once I have everything I need then ask Ino to guide me to where the bowls, pans and utensils were located. It was quite as I cook, I can feel her look at me sometimes, but then she would go back to her reading material. The silence doesn't bother me, while Yosh would some times be chatty, more then often we prepared and cooked with out much talking. Well unless it had to due with the order or the need to restock on something. Cooking also made me feel more relaxed. This was something I know, something that I have been doing for thirteen years, it brought me back home and put all thoughts that I was standing in the middle of Konoha out of my mind.

The food was ready too quickly for my liking, perhaps I should be making multiple courses? I plated for Ino, myself and put some aside for Sakura. It would be easy enough to warm up in the oven when she got home. I took the two plates over to the small table that was set up besides the kitchen and placed one in front of Ino. I sat at the chair across from her and waited for her to say...well anything.

"I can't believe it." She says as she taps her chopstick on the plate. "How is it that you can cook this? I burn instant ramen!" There was some more clanks of her utensils hitting the plate then a long hum leaves her. Well not exactly a hum, more like a moan. I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the laugh that wants to come out. If there was one thing that I really enjoyed it was showing up people that underestimated me.

"You like it?" I ask as I put some salmon in my mouth and chew slowly.

"Do I like it? Hell yeah. You know Forehead really needs to keep you around. I think that this is better then even Choji's mother's cooking." There is another moan that leaves her lips, and this time I really can't contain the smile that breaks out on my face. Take that Mrs "I need to see this to believe it."

We eat for a few more moments in silence, then the sound of the door flying open causes me to jump. "Why does my apartment smell like food? Like good food?" I can hear Sakura yell as she walks in. "Where you guys cooking?" He voice is filled with curiosity. I can hear her feet hit the floor as she quickly walks over to the kitchen.

"Ohh not us guys. Really Forehead, when was the last time that I cooked anything. Nope, this was all Sui." Her lips smack as she takes another bite. "You should really keep this one around. This is the best thing that I have eaten in a while." Her words are a bit muffled as she talked with her mouth full.

"It really is nothing, it wasn't even that difficult of a meal. The way you talk it's like you live off of ration packs." I smile and shake my head.

"Well yeah, that and ramen, thought the ramen is more forced on me by Naruto." Sakura says as she places her dish next to me and takes a seat. Suddenly she is also moaning next to me. I had to fight hard to contain the blush that was creeping up. I mean to have one womanl moaning by you was one thing, but then to have two. Well...

"Oh my Kami-sama, Sui... I thought it was just Yosh that cooked. I had no clue that you could too!" She leaned over and tousled my hair. Her face was so close that I could smell her breath, which just so happened to have sake lingering on it.

"Did you get into a drinking contest?" I ask as I swat her hand off of my head. I was not a dog to be pet or patted.

"No I just had two drinks. She tried to get me into one, but we have your socket therapy to do, and I don't want to do anything that delicate if I am even a little drunk." Her chopstick making clinking noises as she gathered more food.

"Socket therapy?" I cringed as Ino asked.

"Oh, well you know that project I have been working on?" Sakura said after swallowed loudly, Ino just grunted at her.

"Which project, you have like five million things that you are working on. How am I suppose to know what one you are talking about?" Ino huffs as she stood from her chair and placed her plates in the sink there was a moment of silence before she let out a harsh sigh. "Don't even look at my like that." There was a tapping noise that came from her direction, more then likely her fingernail against the counter. I just raised my brow and tilted my head towards Sakura. What other projects did she have going on? How thinly did this girl spread herself?

"Well let's look at the obvious here Pig." There was another pause then Sakura sighed placing her chopsticks down with a clank. "Eyes Ino, Eyes."

"You figured it out?" The awe that was in her tone was apparent. "Tsunade said that it was a pipe dream." She murmured.

"Even Tsunade can underestimate me." She sighed and shifted in her seat.

"She is going to put eyes in you. Holy shit. Wait until people hear about this." It sounded almost like she was about to jump up and down. I frowned as I kept my head in Sakura's direction. She said that people were not going to know about this.

"Ino, you have to keep this quite. I know you love a good gossip, but please keep this to yourself." Sakura pleaded. I gave her a small grateful smile.

"Why? This is big Sakura, no one has ever been able to do this... Well minus Naruto, but that was with his freaky god like powers."

"Ino please. Later we can tell people. Just please, I promised Sui that I wouldn't make a big deal." She almost whined.

"...Fine, I won't say anything." Ino lamented. "I have to get going. Sai should be done soon and I want to get home and change before I see him."

Ino left and Sakura insisted on doing the dishes. She said that it was only right that the one who cooked didn't have to clean, and I really felt no need to complain about that rule. I was use to having to cook all day and clean all day, so I took advantage of not having to. Once she was done she gave me another tour of the apartment, thought this one was a bit more detailed. She started in the kitchen and showed me where everything was in there. I think that was a hint as she was not as thorough through out the rest of the house. She also decided to place the plants that where toxic or deadly in her room or in the higher up windowsills. There were still a few here and there that she said not to touch, but I was happy that most were not in my accidental reach.

"So how do you like it so far?" She asked as she flopped down on the sofa after turning the radio on.

"It's different that I am use to. I just hope that i will be able to get a bit more comfortable," I shrug as I sit down next to her.

"Humans are amazing at adapting. I am sure you'll get it with enough time." I hummed as I nodded my head. It was true. There was a point that I couldn't walk with out the assistance of some one, and now I could navigate at most places. I suppose I just had not challenged myself in a while. We sat there in comfortable silence for a while. It was nice just relaxing.

"You know your friend lost me." I laughed a bit. There was an intake of breath.

"She didn't?" Sakura groaned.

"MmmHmmm, but I got her back by falling down the stairs and landing on her." I smiles and lifted my brow as I turned my head in her direction. She snorted then laughed. I really liked hearing her laugh. I even liked hearing that ungodly snort of hers.

The afternoon passed and it was relaxed. Sakura went over the agenda and what I was to expect over the next few weeks. She also informed me that she had taken some time off from the hospital for a few weeks to help get to know the village. I thanked her, as that was another thing that I thought of. What the hell was I going to do here while she was at work? At least I didn't have to face that predicament right away.

After that she explained some of the people that more then likely would be spending time around. Of course her team, which she didn't really get that into, saying that I would find out soon enough. Then there were the others in her graduating class. She told me about them, what they did and how they acted. I was taken back a bit when she said that in two and a half weeks that the Kage from Suna would be here, and that she would be spending time with them as well. She also asked if I would be interested in attending some type of social event to celebrate the end of the war. I said that I would think about it, I don't know if I would be comfortable attending a function like that.

"You know it's getting late, we should probably start on your therapy." She yawned, the cushions shifted as she stretched. "How do you want to do this? We have a few options. You can either place your head in my lap and lay down, or you could sit at the table, or I could just.. um well.. sit in your lap like we have been. These will last longer, so what ever makes you more comfortable." She stood up and I could hear her walk to the other side of the room. Having my head in her lap would probably be the wisest option, but that felt so intimate. I mean the only person who I would do that with had been Hisako. While having her straddling me was uncomfortable, it didn't bother me... as much. I know odd.

"Why don't we do it like we have been?" I ask as I scratch the back of my neck.

"Sure thing. Why don't we go in your room then? I'll bring in some extra pillows and you can sit against the head board. It will work better then the couch, my feet won't hang off the edge." I don't even reply as she began to walk away mid sentence. Well, now I was going to be in bed with a woman straddling me. I should have chose the table. Taking a deep breath I shook my head lightly and walked into the bedroom.

The session was much like the others that she did while traveling. The only read difference was that it lasted much longer, and the heat from her working was beginning to get uncomfortable. Now I understood why she said that I would be raw. While she was encouraging the optic nerve back she was also strengthening the muscles in my eyelids. Muscles that were barely there since they ceased being used over a decade ago. We both sighed as she pulled her chakra out.

"You might be a bit uncomfortable for a while. I am sorry. I did numb it a bit with chakra. I also have some gel pads that I want you to put on your eye sockets before you go to sleep." I nodded at her and grimaced as I felt pain as I moved my eyebrow. She placed the gel pads into my hand and then gripped on my shoulder.

"I know it hurts, but I promise it will get better. Go to sleep, it shouldn't ache as bad tomorrow." I nodded my head at her as I leaned back in the bed and placed the gel pads over my eyes. The coolness did help with the pain, thought I knew once Sakura's chakra pain reducers wore off, it was not going to be pleasant. So I murmered her a good night and waited for sleep to take me under.

My eye sockets hurt, and they hurt a lot. I think that perhaps the healing session went a too long and I have chakra burn. The pain wakes me up in, what I assume, is early morning. I rub my lids only to bit down a groan as the ache starts to throb. I have to do something to get my mind off of this feeling. Slowly I pull myself out of bed and walk to the front door of the apartment. I slowly open it and try and figure out the time. The air feels fresh and crisp, and filled with moisture of and over night dew, the streets are quite, though the songbirds were beginning to chirp. It was morning, but seemed to be early enough that none of the village was awake. Sighing I walk back into the apartment.

I sat on the couch for a few moments, but the stillness around me just kept my attention going back to the throbbing that I was feeling in my face. Without thinking, once again my hand rubs against my lids sending a burning sensation through them. Hissing I stand up. There has to be something that I can do. If I were at home it would be easy enough to stay distracted, there was always something to do. Milking goats, collecting eggs, feeding the animals, cleaning the inn, prepping and cooking... Wait, that was something that I could do. Wincing as I stood I walked into the kitchen intent on making breakfast. Now what could I make that would take some time? I settle on making hot cakes.

I gather the materials that I would need, placing all the dry ingredients in one bowl then began to separated the eggs. Once the yokes and white were apart I took my time to beat and aerate the whites. I beat it by hand not in a hurry for the foamy peaks to form. Unfortunately once I was done with that, the prep was almost done and I would need to let the batter sit for a while before I would proceed to cooking them. I frown to myself as I cover the bowl and set it to the side. Well perhaps Sakura was not a fan of sweet breakfasts, maybe I should make something more savory. That's when I decide that Okonomiyaki would set off the sweetness. I pull out all the vegetables and begin to prepare the cabbage like pancakes.

An hour maybe two had passed since I began to cook. It really was the best thing to keep me from focusing on my lids. The less I focused on what I was cooking the more likely I was to cut my fingers or burn my hands. I was grateful for the distraction. I was just finishing taking the hot cakes from the pan, when screaming filled the air of the small apartment. I immediately flared my chakra feeling for any intruders as I placed the pan down. There was no one else here, all I could feel was Sakura, and that was when i felt the distress in her.

I quickly made my way to her room, opening her door I murmured her name. The only response I had was another blood curdling scream. As I walked in further I could hear her panting and could hear the sheets rub against each other as she flailed in her bed. I walked closer next to her bed and began to feel for her shoulders. The fist time this happened it scared the shit out of me, and it still does to tell the truth. The noises she makes are complete agony and terror. It makes my chest constrict every time. I wonder what it is that haunts the girl. Though I know that the only thing I can do is to wake her and take her away from her mental torment.

I squeeze lightly onto her should and give her a small shake, while murmuring her name. She doesn't wake. She has never awoke on my first attempt. I repeat my action putting more force into the shake. She screams again and sits up quickly, so quickly her head slams into mine. I wince as the pain radiated through my face... Well at least it wasn't just my sockets and lids that hurt anymore. Before I even realize what I am doing I block a punch that was thrown at me. Honestly I was surprised that it took this long for her to violently react to me waking her. I yell out her name as she tries to land another blow. Nothing but another scream comes from her. This one though is not the fear filled one, no this was the scream of a warrior going to battle. I grab on to her wrist as she tries to hit me again. Grabbing them I slam them against her head and pin her down. Good thing she doesn't seem to use her super strength as she sleeps.

"SAKURA!" I yell as I push her down to jostle her. Though before she could even reply I ripped off of her and my back slammed into the wall with so much force all my breath leaves my body. As I attempt to take a breath in I notice the metallic taste that fills my mouth and prevents me from gasping for air. I swallow hard, forcing the blood out of the way and gasp for air. That was until I felt the sting of metal against my neck and a hand pushing my shoulder into the wall roughly. It took me a moment to realize what had happened. That I was now pinned against the wall by some one. How had I not felt them coming in?

"What were you doing?" A too calm voice came from in front of me. One of those dead inside calms. His face is close to mine I can feel his warm breath fan over my face. I began to open my mouth when I felt the weapon dig further into my throat. Seriously? You are going to ask me a question them push down on a mans' windpipe? Common sense should tell you that to get answers you need to let the other person, I don't know, fucking breath.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Sakura screams from her bed. "KAKASHI! GET. OFF. OF. HIM." I could feel the hand on my and the blade against my throat waver as she yelled. There was a tense moment that passed and in that time I took the time to feel, really feel, the chakra that was now pouring out of the man in front of me. That was when I realized I know this man. And I am not talking about from when I lived in the village, no this is the familiar chakra that was watching me yesterday... The owner of this chakra also shattered my brow bone. This was the fucking author. With out waiting for him to withdraw I growled and pushed him away.

"What the hell Kakashi?" Sakura scoffed as the man took a step away. My hand immediately went to my neck, feeling the blood that was trickling down. Awesome, my lids hurt, I bit a hole in the side of my cheek, and bleeding from the neck. It was turning out to be a fantastic morning.

"You were screaming, then I come in and find a man pinning you down to the bed. How else do you want me to react Sakura?" Kakashi's voice held no emotion in it as he shifted next to me.

"I was asleep. He was trying to wake me up." She huffed and walked up next to me prying my hand off of my neck. I could feel the tingle of of her chakra entering my skin as it began to knit together. "What are you doing here anyways?" She growled then began to pry my mouth open.

"It's Thursday. I thought that you said you were not having issues anymore."

"What?"

"It. Is. Thursday. And you said you were ok."

"I am fine." Her voice was flat. "Shit it's Thursday!"

"Yup and everyone else will be here in the next few moments. I thought you were already cooking seeing how there is a three course meal cooking in your kitchen." He sighed.

"What?" I reached up and grabbed her hands away from mouth and shook my head.

"I was cooking." I croaked. And frowned as I turned my head away from them. Taking a deep breath I try and calm myself. I was agitated at the whole situation. I hate that the girl infront of me had been waking for the past few days screaming. I was also uncomfortable and the guy that sucker punched me was standing a few feet away. Sakura sighed and patted me on the shoulder.

"Kakashi can you wait for me in the kitchen?" She asked, the man just grunted and walked out of the room.

"I am sorry. I forgot that they would be over for breakfast." She took a deep breath. "Are you ok?" I just nod my head and rub my eyes.

"Don't rub them." Her voice was soft as her she reached up and touched my temples. "I am numbing a few nerves around your socket."She murmurer as she lightly touched around my temple. Almost instantly the pain ebbed away. Taking a deep breath I pulled her hands off of me. I was still angry and needed to get some space.

"Breakfast is done, I think I am going to take a shower." I breath, she lets out a hum and pats me on my chest.

"Alright. I'll see you in a few." I nodded at her then walked to my room to collect my clothes and then walked into the restroom.

 **Man I wish that I could get this out faster. The next few chapters are going to be Shisui getting to know the village once again. If it is a bit slow I am sorry, but this is a slower burn. Anyways one reason that I don't have a ton of time is we have been house hunting. We have found a place out in the country which we are making an offer, so if we move I'll have even less time. But this story will be complete. I have everything planned and am super excited to share it :) Thought I am also super psyched to have a house where I can have chickens and goats! Hopefully everything will go through!**

 **Once again thank you for taking the time to read, review and follow this. It means a ton! Also thank you for the well wished. The house has been *cleared* and we are all now healthy. Hope you have a great week!**


	16. Chapter 16

I stand in the shower seething. Of course the asshole would be on her team, and of course he isn't an author. Sneering to myself I roughly soap up my body. Shit, does this mean that the other one was also a teamate? Sighing I let the water rinse the soap. Of course there would be others that would check me out, how was I so stupid to think that it would have been just Sai? I also knew his name. I scrub the shampoo into my scalp and hair as I rack my brain. Kakashi. I know I should know him. I grind my teeth as I am coming up with nothing. How do I know the man? I stand under the spray when it hits me. Kakashi of the Sharingan. How could I possibly forget that! He was the only non Uchiha to ever have the sharingan. The clan had wanted his head, thinking that he stole it from his teammate. Obito. The man that worked with Madara during the war. My hand roughly goes over my face as I begin to pull it down my skin ruptures with a burning sensation in my lids and back into my socket. I hiss as I turn and place my head against the cold tiles. Having that man around is too close. As I finish my shower the dots all began to connect with how dangerous it was to have Kakashi around. While we never really interacted much, we both were in ANBU, and he was in the same squad as Itachi. Though they were in assassinations and I was in T&I, so our paths didn't usually cross. He was smart too. There were rumors that his intelligence was right up there with Itachi, if anyone would figure this out it was him. I frown as I step out of the shower and feel for the towels. No that wasn't right. There were two other people that I would have to make sure I avoided also. Hana and Ibiki. If anyone would recognize me right away it was those two. I begin to dress myself when the sound of muffled voices came through the wall.

"I don't like it Sakura." Kakashi's voice was raised. Either he didn't care that I heard the conversation or he was making sure that I did.

"I really don't care what you think Sensei. What is your issue any ways?" It was fare more difficult to make out what she was saying. Unlike her sensei it seemed she wished to keep the conversation some what private.

"There is something off with that kid. You may not see it but I can feel it. There is something else going on with him, and I don't like it. I don't like that he is staying with you, or that he is even with in Kohona." There it is, he doesn't know. My frown deepens, is it just a matter of time before he figures it out? I figure that right now me being here is like seeing something out of the edge of his eyesight. That when he looks he sees nothing, but everything in his body is telling him that there was something indeed there. I pull my cloths on quickly. The village must have fully accepted my suicide. If there was even a sliver that I was alive I am sure that he would have put it together already.

"Oh stop, and he is not a kid," Sakura hissed. "There is nothing wrong with him. I checked out his story, I have spent a lot of time with him. He is just a man who had a hard time then lived at an Inn with his adoptive family. Tsunade doesn't have an issue with this, so you shouldn't either." I can hear her moving around in the kitchen as plates clank together and the doors of cabinets open and close. "Plus if he was going to do anything, why would he wait till we came to the village? If there was any ill intent, there was plenty of time for him to do something while I was a guest at the inn, or when we were traveling." Her voice was hard. Harder then I have ever heard her talk. There was the sound of movement of feet but they stilled as a knock on the door echoed through the small apartment. I let myself feel the chakra of who was at the door. Awesome, yup the other author was here.

"Mornin Yamato." Sakura says after she opens the door with a small squeal.

"Good morning to you Sakura-chan. Wow it smells fantastic in here." Sakura laughs as she closes the door. "Did you cook?" The man asks hesitantly.

"No it was her guest." Kakashi spat bitterly. It's always good to know when some one likes you, right?

"Oh, Guest?" The new comer asked.

"The blind boy is staying here." Kakashi said in a disapproving tone.

"Ahhh I see." There was a brief moment of silence.

"Wait, what do you mean you see?" Sakura sneered. Well it seems that she was unaware of the field trip the two men had taken. Which made me wonder if it was sanctioned by the Hokage, or if they decided to take it upon themselves to scout.

"You see is all you have to say?" Kakashi snapped before the man could address Sakura's question. There was a loud sigh, had to be pretty dramatic if I could hear it through the wall.

"Yes, senpai, Sakura is a grown woman and she can make choices of her own. If she wishes to entertain some one at her flat, then that is of no concern to us." There was a snort. I really don't know who it was from since Sakura could make some pretty unfeminine noises.

"Ahh, but does her mother know I wonder?" There was mirth in his voice as Kakashi asked the question.

"Don't you dare bring up my mother!" Sakura snarled. I shifted my weight as I began to get uncomfortable. It's funny when you are an orphan that sometimes you forget that people older then children may have living biological parents. The way the two reacted to her mother being brought up, I don't know if I want to meet the woman any time soon. There was a crash of something that brought my attention back. I should get out of the bathroom, I had already been in here for a while and eaves dropping. I wouldn't doubt that soon Sakura would come to make sure that I was alright. Taking a deep breath I felt for the door, once my finger found the knob I turned it an slowly opened it.

I quietly walked out to the living room and was greeted by silence. I could feel their eyes on me, but no one moved or said anything. This was beyond awkward. I use to think that the most awkward thing that I had even been through was when Koji took me out to the bar and made me be his wing man, but this was soo much more off putting. Pursing my lips I shifted my weight as I cleared my throat.

"Good morning Sui!" Sakura said happily, too happily. I nodded in her direction. "Why don't you take a seat at the table and I will get you a cup of tea?" I nodded again then followed the sound of her feet padding into the kitchen. As I walked I tried to get my muscles to loosen, but I know that I failed as I made my way stiffly to the table. "Breakfast smells wonderful! I can't believe that you made all of this, and you only thought it was going to be two of us!" She laughed nervously as a clank of a cup sounded in front of me. "I hope you don't mind, but we are just going to wait for my other teammates to arrive. I forgot that it was Thursday, and if we are all in the village we have breakfast at my place."

"That is fine with me." I say as I sip my tea. I can still feel the other two watching me like a hawk.

"My team leaders are already here, but I am sure you can feel their chakra." I nodded to her as I placed my cup down gently on the table. "The one to your left is Yamato...and the one to your right is Hatake Kakashi. He was my sensei when I was a genin." Swallowing hard I plaster a small smile on my face. If Sakura didn't know that we have already met... Well, I was not going to be the one to inform her. There was no need for my to bring drama into her life, not after all she was doing for me.

"It is a pleasure, My name is Sui." I turn my head in their direction and give a small head bow.

"No sure name?" Kakashi asked sarcastically. Does he want a repeat of the conversation at the inn?

"No just Sui."

"Hmmm."

"Really it's not that uncommon to not have one." Sakura says as she takes a seat next to me. "I mean Tenten doesn't have one, nor does Yamato." Her shoulder rubs against mine as she shrugs. There was a sound of a chair scrapping against the floor as Kakashi took the seat opposite of me.

"They are orphans." He said in a bored tone, I draw my brow in and shook my head.

"As am I." I sigh and lean back in my chair and raise my brow. I can feel the glare coning off of him, but before he could respond the front door flies open.

"GOOOOOODDD MOOOOORRRRNNIIING SAKURAAAA-CHAAAAAAAANNNN!" I jump at the volume of the voice that is coming from the door. The sudden movement was like a hurricane that ripped through her small apartment. There was a quick succession of loud foot falls then I was pushed almost out of my seat as the new comer pounced on Sakura.

"NARUTO!" She yelled and laughed as I think her hand patted on the mans back. "I was only gone for a week and a half, you act like you haven't seen me in years." She huffed, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Awww, you told me you would be back two days ago! Plus you know it is boring without you around Sakura!" He sighed, then there was a rustling noise as I think he hugged her again.

"Let me go!" Sakura hissed as she pushed him back to far enough that he pressed against my chair. I reached out to grab my cup so it wouldn't spill. That's when his chakra hit me. It was like nothing I have ever sensed before. Now while most chakra let you know about a persons personality there was usually multiple layers. For instance Sakura's was light and airy, but if you took enough time to look there was a swirling storm that laid hidden. This wasn't a bad thing, it was just how humans were. Everyone was made up of light and darkness. Well, that was everyone but Naruto. This man's chakra was radiant, like the sun. There was no shadows hiding, no just light and I furrowed my brow I tried to read deeper into it, but got nothing just the light.

"Kaka-sensei, Yamato-tachiou, it has been a while!" Naruto yells from behind me and I feel him grab onto the back rest of my chair. "It smells amazing in here. Where did we get breakfast from?"

"We didn't order it Naruto, Sakra-chan's guest made it." Yamato said in a pleasant voice. I smile in the mans direction. Hopefully he wasn't going to be as big of an asshole as Kakashi.

"Naruto, this is Sui. The man I was telling you about." Sakura says as she places a hand on my shoulder. I shift my weight so I am facing more in her direction.

"This is the blind guy?" He all but yells next to me, I fight the cringe that wants to come out.

"I suppose that is me." I smirk into his direction. There was a shuffle of feet then the sound of a chair being pulled back. He took a seat with an omph, and some how his chakra got even brighter.

"So you are the one that beat Sai and almost beat Sakura chan, ne?" I think he was trying to sound skeptical, though he pretty much failed at the tone. I smiled at him and hummed. "So let's go spar. I have to see this!" His hand slammed onto my back. Before I could say anything Sakura sighed.

"No Naruto, not now. Sui cooked, for who knows how long, this morning so we are going to eat first! Actually we are waiting for Sai, then we are going to eat." There was a brief pause before she let out a low growl. "Where the hell is he?"

"Where the hell is who?" That monotone pleasant voice asked as he opened the door.

"Thank gods you are here, now we can eat then we spar!" Naruto said as he jumped up. Well, with the amount of energy he has displayed this early in the morning it I can see why the kid was a game changer in a war. It was not natural to be this peppy before nine in the morning.

Everyone eventually settled and plated their food. Good thing I had made way too much. There was some idle chatter, mostly between Naruto, Sakura and Sai. The whole time that I was eating I could feel the gaze of the other two on me. I fought the urge to shuffle or fidget, instead I just try to focus on my food infront of me.

"You know, these hot cakes, they remind me of some one." Naruto said through a mouth full of food. I turn my head and cock a brow.

"Yeah, and who is that?" Yamato asks from across the table.

"A lady that use to come and visit me when I was young. When I was taken out of the group home and placed in my own apartment, she would come on the weekend. She would always make me hotcakes. She was the only one, besides the Third who was nice to me back then." I purse my lips as he lets out a long sigh. "Anyways since she never came back I was always looking for hotcakes that tasted like hers, but I was never able to find them like she made them."

"What was her name?" The question fell from my lips before I could stop it. The truth is that the recipe that I used was not a variation of Yosh's it was actually a version that I had taught him. It was a recipe that my Aunt had shared with me. It was a recipe that she came up with.

"I don't remember her name, I actually don't even know if she ever told it to me. She was beautiful thought, long dark hair, dark eyes. She was probably the nicest person that I had met at that point. It's too bad I don't know where she is. I really would love to see her again." He said wistfully. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from any emotion flickering on my face. That had to be Mikoto. This was HER recipe. Why would she go out of her way for the demon fox vessel? Inwardly I shake my head, that was a stupid question. That was just the way she was, she cared, she was the type of person who would go out of her way for a boy that was shunned by the village. The faint taste of metal began to drip into my mouth, I had to force my skin from my teeth. We were not the monsters the village made us out to be. Yes there were problems but there were just as many beautiful people there. People that were thrown to the side over stupid politics and power. I let out a shaky breath, this was not the time to mull over things, especially since I had an audience.

"It's lemon zest and crystal ginger." I murmur as I push the food around my plate.

"Huh?" Naruto grunts.

"The ingredients that make it different. Lemon zest and crystal ginger."

"Ah, yes that's it. I could never figure it out. Thanks man." He pats me on the back again. I just smile at him and lean back in my chair. It's funny how people are stung together.

"Are you all done yet? I want to get to the training fields!" Naruto yelled as he stood and knocked the chair over.

"Fine, let's get going. Though we, Sui and I can't stay all day. We still have to go to the hospital." Sakura grumbled ans the clanking of dishes filled the air.

"Alright! Let's go!" He said as he picked up the seat and pushed it under the table. "But maybe you want to change, ne?" He asks as he places a hand on my shoulder. I shake my head lightly.

"Why what is wrong with what I am wearing?" I ask as I furrow my brow. Some one from across the table cleared his throat. Now I really wanted to know what it was that I was wearing.

"Well if you believe that wearing a pink shirt with a kitten ridding a unicorn would help you in the spar, don't worry about changing." Sai's voice sing songed in front of me. My mouth dropped open as my hands went to my shirt. It felt like all the others that I owned. How many of my shirts had weird prints on them?

"Fucking Koji," I growl out standing and whipping my shirt off as I walked into my room. I grabbed a shirt from the drawer and marched back into the other room. "Is this just a regular shirt?" I grunt as I lift it up. Silence met me. "Is it?"

"Yes," several of them responded. I nodded and pulled it over my head.

"Ready to go?" I try not to scowl.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto yelled as he pulled my my arm and led me out of the door.

Naruto talked. He talked a lot. The whole way while we walked to the training field he chattered incessantly. Not that I minded, I had no need to talk and really wanted to keep eyes off of me. What amazed me about the boy was that the whole time his conversation fluttered from one person to the next. He kept everyone included, even if the responses that he got where just grunts, he kept on including them. This from a boy who everyone in the village had shunned and ignored. The strength within him was something that I awed.

It took about a half an hour walking at a brisk pace to make it to the training fields. It seemed that there was no one else there as the vibrations that I was feeling was only a distant rumble. I let a small smirk pull at my lips. The smell was so familiar. This was the smell of my childhood, this was also the smell of the training areas on the island. The crisp smell of the forest trees, the earthy smell of the mud, and a hint of water running by. This was where I felt like home. This was where Itachi and I spent so much time, and also my teams. It was bittersweet.

"So how are we going to do this? One on one or teams?" Naruto asked with a clap of his hands.

"Teams would make it more interesting." Kakashi drawled to my left. I was fine with whatever they chose, thought I was going to have to make sure that I reeled in my fighting style. I was back to fighting like I had in Kohona, I relied on my speed and flickering ability. Those affinities were what I was known for. I know no one was actively looking for me, but I didn't need to broad cast that there was some on that had the same style of Uchiha Shisui. Though it may be a little difficult seeing how Sakura and Sai had already seen me fight. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

"That is fine with me, how about Sui, Sai and I against you three. We have already seen Sui fight, so this will be new for you guys." Sakura chirped as she bumped her shoulder into mine. I smirk at her, I have no issue with this team.

"That works," Yamuto breaths.

"Just no sage or nine tails mode." Sai's voice was serious.

"Ohh come on! That's what I do, I mean that would be like me telling you not to use your ink!" Naruto whined. I am actually kind of disappointed. I kind of want to experience his power ups, after all they had been talked about since the end of the war.

"Perhaps next time." Sakura laughed and I heard a hand patting on his back.

"Fine what ever. Let's do this!" At that Sakura grabbed onto my arm and the teams scatter. She takes into the forest of the other side and pulls me down as she crouches down.

"Sai is setting some traps on the way here." She says as she moves next to me, I can hear the clanks of metal against metal. "It's not really a fair fight for you, since we have been sparing together for so long." She sighs, "anyways Kakashi is close combat... Well kinda, He likes lightening, mud walls, underground travel ohhh and he really loves substitutions. I have come to hate logs because of that man." She hissed as she whispered. "Yamato, is a wood user." At that my head snaps in her direction. There has not been a wood user since the first. "I know right, so he is both close combat and mid range. Then that leaves Naruto who is all close combat and he loves his shadow clones." I nod in her direction and send my chakra out feeling for the others. My brows pulled as I felt Naruto's chakra. It had fanned over the entire field, he was all over the entire place. Taking a moment I pinpoint the chakras and count them... There are more then fifty. I could also feel Kakashi and Yamato's chakra pounding towards us. The intensity that each gave off, well it seemed like this was not just going to be a friendly spar. I felt as some of Naruto's clones disappeared and felt the chakra blobs that were Sai's ink creations. They were coming and coming close.

"They should be here in a few minutes. I hope that gave you enough time." I turned as the muffled sound of feet hitting the ground appeared next to me. I nod to him then keep surveying how close they were getting. They had concealed their chakra, well Kakashi and Yamoto did, Naruto I guess was fine storming right in. They may have concealed themselves, but I can still sense their traces.

"Kakashi has gone underground." I say as I prepare my body for the fight tome come.

"Where?" Sakura asks as she stands next to me, I can hear her moving and cloths rustling.

"Really he can't see what you are doing. Is there a need to be so dramatic Hag?" Sai sighs as he begins to move also. From where he was standing the sound of scrolls being popped open and paper pressing against paper.

"Shut up Sai," She hisses. "I don't tell you how to do your ninja art. Don't interfere with mine. Now what direction." I shake my head at their bickering. It was a little surprising, at their level you would think that they would work seamlessly. I sigh and point in the direction. "I'll take Kakashi, Sai you want to go after Yamato? And Sui, you might as well go after Naruto. I mean if he doesn't fight you he'll whine until he gets to." She pats my back. Before anyone could reply she was off and so was Sai. Well I might as well find the real one amongst the clones.

It took a few moment for me to weed through the replica's, unfortunately right when I figure out where the original was the ground begins to shake and rumble. I let out an exasperated sigh, great Sakura was stomping around like a five thousand pound troll. I shake my head and try and get my balance back, but the shaking was becoming stronger and everything was getting fuzzier. I had to figure out how to get over my issues with vibrations. Not only for while I was sparing but because of the constant vibrations of Kohona.

I still myself and try and only focus on the chakra around me. It was hard, really hard. Sakura was not holding back with her force and it seemed that Sai and Yamato were doing a good amount of destruction also. Frowning a bit I begin to really wonder what the training grounds looked like. Taking a deep breath I finally find Naruto's chakra again. My frow deepens as it comes close, no that is not him. That is just great. I reach into the leg pouch that Sakura let me borrow and run my fingers through the Kunia, lifting it and giving it a quick spin I throw it at the clone it meets it with a crack then a poof as it dissipates. Just when the clone disappears the attention is drawn to my direction. I can feel them coming, but my mind will just not shut out the vibrations. It is like staring out of a wavy stained glass. I know they are coming, I can feel it, I just can't pin point them. I can't wade through the clones and find the real one. I grimace as the frustration builds. I just want to scream out to the others to shut up! To stop breaking the earth. There is a loud crack and the sound of wood splintering fill my ears. The ground rumbles stronger as I feel the trees hit the ground. This is insane.

The chakra picture becomes clearer as Naruto and his clones come closer. That means this whole spar will be need to close combat. While I had already decided that I wasn't going to use any flickering techniques, it still made me uneasy that I couldn't even if I wanted to. It felt like going into a fight without any kunia. Even if you don't reach for them it's comforting to have them.

The first fifteen or so clone are closing quickly, I think about taking to the trees that are around me, but then the ground shakes again and more trees begin to crack around me. Trees are probably not the best idea here. So I prepare myself for the onslaught.

Not only does the boy and his clones not conceal his chakra, they are loud. Their approach can be heard over the booming and shaking going around us. I feel for the chakra and realize that the real one is not amongst them. Quickly I am making hand signs and taking a deep breath in. Before I really even think about it I am letting out a fire ball at the horde of clones. Each disappears with a sharp pop. My body snaps still as I realize what I have just one. What are Uchihas known for other then their eyes? Their fire. My mind begins to race. There are others that use fire style, but I will have to limit it. I have picked up a few earth styles, not to mention some of the kids jutsus that I could use. Just use fire sparingly, I think as I dodge a clone that rushed me from behind.

Quickly there were over twenty clones that flooded towards me. It was a hurricane of feet and fists coming toward me. There were a few hits, but nothing too bad, but then the hairs on the back of my neck began to rise. The ones that were coming chakra's began to surge and build. I tried to figure out what was going on, but there where too many coming at me. There wsa a final pop of a clone disappearing when I felt the other clones... ah there is the real one. I run the back of my hand against my brow wiping away the sweat that dripping down and drenching my blind fold. Wind, he was manipulating wind, and in a way that I have never seen. I keep my ground until he was right on me. I jump out of the way, but whatever jutsu he was doing scrapes against my shoulder. I hiss as I feel the skin separate.

My hand reaches up and applies pressure to my shoulder as I land a kick onto a clone. I roll my shoulder and drop my hand as I block another blow. I'll give it to him, he was strong. Much stronger then I have ever faced and I know that he was only using a fraction of his strength. Though he fought like a... well a drunk Rhino. He did try to distract, but the kid was better with full on brawling it seemed. The kind of fighting that was not strategic, but all blows. I bit my lip as I break another clone. Now there were only two plus him. I wonder what it would be like for him to be fighting with his full power.

I was so focused on the fight with the many, many Narutos that I had not noticed that the ground had stopped shaking. That was until I felt Kakashi running towards us. I ignored the on coming ninja and focused on trying to land a hit on the last Naruto. My back was towards the man when the hairs on the back of my neck once again raised and I could feel the electricity snapping in the air. Suddenly there were two balls of energy zig zaggining towards us. I jump to the side as the cracking in the air became stronger. There was a hiss from where Naruto was standing then the smell of burning flesh followed.

"Naruto?" I jumped back in his direction.

"What the hell Kaka-sensei!" Naruto yelled into my ear. I cringed at the volume.

"Apologies, that was not meant for you. Though you should have really been able to dodge it." Kakashi's calm voice approached us from behind. I sneered at the voice as I reached out to the boisterous man.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah. I have taken worse." Naruto grumbled. "Kakashi and his damn lightening hounds." He spat. He gripped onto my hand and pulled himself up.

"Naruto you should really have Sakura look at that." Kakashi said in a bored tone, he was now next to us, a distinct acid and smoke like smell coming from his body.

"You know I don't need her to... Hey sensei where is Sakura? Wasn't she sparing with you?" I furrow my brow and turn my attention to their sensei.

"Aa, well you see the pack wanted in on our spar. So I am sure that she has her hands full." He hummed. "But she is to the east. I'll call back the boys and she can take a look."

"You know I don't need to. I can keep going"

"And you know that if you don't have her look at you, then she will break you more then heal you." Kakashi sighed. I bit the side of my cheek, why was he pushing for Naruto to go seek medical attention that he clearly did not want. And from the sound of it he didn't need it either. Naruto let out a dramatic sigh.

"Right, right. We'll pick this up later Sui!" He said as he started to run to the other side of the field. I sigh as I begin to straighten out my clothes. I suppose the sparing session was over.

Nope the session was not over, just as I began to walk away Kakashi quickly mounted an attack. I darted out of the way just as his leg was about to make contact with me. I darted around and scowled in his direction.

"We are not done, no team has come out the victor yet." He drawled as he came at me. He was fast, but I know that I was faster. It was difficult though, trying to reign it in when I had an opponent coming at me with all intents and purposes to cause me harm. Several times I found myself stopping myself from flickering or using my teleportation techniques.

"This is it?" Kakashi huffed. "This was the amazing fighting that Sakura and Sai told us about? They said that you **_flicker_** around like lightening." He mused as he slammed an elbow into my side. I attempt to scowl but I groan as the air was pushed from me. "This cannot be the power of the Demon Slayer" He hisses as he moves closer to me. I take a step back and spit out the blood that was in my mouth. This guy was an uber dick.

"And this is the amazing Copy Nin? Can't even take down a bring down a blind man, ne?" I growl at him. He snorts and comes after me harder and faster. Fine so be it. I smirk as my foot connects to his hip. He lets out a pained grunt but it pushes him back a bit. Immediately I can feel the air begin to electrify again. More lightening it seemed. This needs to end. This needs to end now. I grit my teeth and my hands begin to quickly go through hand signs.

"Fire Style: Pheonix flower Jutsu." I began to spit out fire balls as I heard his lightening start to crack around the air. Suddenly the earth began to shake and I could hear the thunk of my fire infused shurikans hitting something that sounded an awfully like wood. Well, that was because it was wood. There was a large wooden wall that was erected between us. I scan the surroundings and sense that Yamato was bounding up towards us.

"Hey guys, I thought this was suppose to be a spar. I mean I know things can get out of hand with Naruto, but usually we try and not kill each other." He let out a dry laugh. "Also, Sakura was close Senpai."

There was a muffled snort that came from the other side of the wall that was dividing us. Slowly the ground began to rumble as the earth engulfed the wood. Yamato clicked his tounge. "Really Kakashi? Chidori? What were you thinking? And you man, I don't know you, but I could feel the rage coming off of those flames. Do you really want to kill a ninja in a hidden village?" I scowl in the mans direction. He really should not be surprised at the intensity of our fight. "Though that was a vast improvement from the man we met at the inn." My blood begins to boil again as I shift my weight. I didn't want this to be over, and from the dark chakra in front of me I could tell that Kakashi didn't either.

"You should not have involved yourself Tenzo." Kakashi huffed.

"Give it up Senpai. Imagine what Sakura would feel if you broke him?" I snorted at them. I was not her fucking toy to be broken. "And you. Do you care about what she would feel if you majorly injured her friend?"

"Fuck you, he was the one coming after me. I wasn't going to be sucker punched with a jutsu." I sneer

"Not like last time huh?"

"What the hell is your issue."

"I don't like you." No shit there. "There is something off about you. Something not right. You are hiding something and I don't like it. I don't like that you are here, in my village, and I really don't like that you are staying with Sakura. She need you gone, before what ever it is that you are hiding blows up." I kinda felt like I wanted to laugh. If he only knew what I really did for this fucking village.

"Good thing it was not for you to decide is it? Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to decide who she had in her life?" I yell. His chakra flares and he is coming up and coming up quickly. I scowl and stand my ground.

"Who do I think I am? I think I am a teacher and a friend who is looking out for his friend. I will not stand and watch a ticking time bomb. That happened the moment those kids dug their way into my life, and they are the only family that I have. If there is a threat to them, even one they do not see, I will do everything in my power to eliminate it." He was so close that his breath was fanning my face. I frowned and raised my brow.

"Is that a threat?"

"It is a promise."

 **Sooo typing on the phone blows! I don't know how so many crazy kids do it!**


	17. Chapter 17

"Is everything alright here?" Sakura asks hesitantly as she walks towards us. Before I turn to her I try and wipe any residual anger off of my face.

"Everything is just fine here Sakura-chan," Yamato says in a cheery voice. I just smile and nod at her.

"Whatever could be wrong?" Kakashi drawled. It was really difficult to keep from frowning. What might be wrong? Oh, I don't know, the fact that the man attempted to kill me. Could that be it? I fight the urge to just slug the man to my left. Sakura hums as she walked closer.

"So do we know who won the match?" She laughs a bit as she takes her spot right next to me.

"I suppose we will call it a draw," Yamato said his voice still cheery, though there was something that laced his words. There was a hardness that I knew that was directed at Kakashi and I. I reach up to scratch the back of my neck to only hiss as I lifted my arm.

"I suppose you all may need a patch job." She laughed as she put her hand on my shoulder. Her chakra once again seeped into my skin. All the aching and stinging was immediatly relieved. I let out a sigh as she withdrew her hand. "Does anyone else need anything?" Both Kakashi and Yamato declined, thought there was a bit of a spat as Sakura insisted on looking over the other two.

"You know you really shouldn't use lightening when sparing." Sakura huffed as she finally got Kakashi to submit to her.

"I don't know what you mean Sakura-chan," Kakashi sighed. I turn my face away from him and frown.

"Don't bullshit me Kakashi. I can smell the ozone in the air, that is the smell of your Chidori," She growled. I heard him groan as there was a sound of flesh hitting flesh. "You said you wouldn't use it," she said softly, though it also held some type of disappointment in it. Why would she ask that he not use a jutsu? Granted I don't want it to be used against me, but it was a no holds bar type of spar. There was a way for him to use it and not go for a killing blow, not like he had executed it earlier. I heard him sigh.

"I am sorry Sakura. I was not thinking," His words were soft as he directed them towards her. My jaw clenched, and I am sure that it was ticking. I am sure he was thinking about a way to land his lightening on me. Sakura sighed again.

"Fine, but please refrain from using it while I am around. I can't stand it," She whispered. There was definitely more to the story then I was aware of, but it was not my place to ask. I have secrets of my own, I would leave her to hers. "Well, we have to get going to the hospital. Naruto wanted to know if you all wanted to come to dinner this Sunday. He said that had some big news."

"Naruto being able to keep something, that he considered big, for that long quite.." Yamato mused. "I don't have any plans unless I am called out on a mission."

"Same here," Kakashi said apathetically.

"Good, I'll let him know. I assume it will be at seven since that is when he schedules everything, but if it is a different time I will let you know." She said as she laid her hand on my elbow. "I'll see you guys later." I could feel her body moving in what I assume was a wave. I nodded in the direction of the men, there was no way I was going to say farewell to them. I honestly didn't know if I could open my mouth to them and be civil at this point. So, I just let Sakura lead me down the training field.

I felt his chakra before Sai landed next to us. Sakura jumped a little grabbing on to my arm a little tighter... Damn did this woman have a grip. Before either of us could say anything or even greet him he was already talking.

"It does seem that Kakashi-san doesn't really care for you Sui-san," He hummed as he walked next to Sakura. I frowned a bit at his forwardness and shook my head.

"I am aware of that," I said slowly. I honestly didn't know were this conversation was going. Anyone that had seen us fight would be well aware that there was no love there, but to bring it up... Well, I think at one point in time Sakura said that the man was a bit socially behind.

"I wonder what you must have done to set him off in that manner. Kakashi-san normally gets along with everyone. Even people he battles in the field. I have never seen him go off..."

"Wait, what?" Sakura hissed as she tightened her hand once again. I tried no to wince at the pressure, but shit I think she was cutting off the blood flow.

"It's nothing," I said as I put my hand over hers. I am sure that she thought it was meant to maybe be calming, but I was more interested at prying her fingers off of me.

"I don't know if I would say nothing." How? how is his voice so monotone and pleasant at the same time?

"Someone just tell me what happened," Sakura growled out.

"It was..."

"Well, Kakashi sent lightening hounds, then ambushed Sui-san when his back was turned. That was then followed by him aiming his Chidori at Sui-san. He hasn't used his Chidori in training since..."

"I know." Sakura breathed. "I honestly don't know what his problem is. I am sorry Sui. He is really being an asshole." She groused.

"So you didn't say anything to make him upset?" Now there was curiosity in his voice. I really didn't need for him to be involved in whatever was going on with me and Kakashi.

"No." I sighed as he let out a hum.

"That is interesting." He murmured. I cocked my head in the direction the man was walking. Why would that be interesting? "Well I must be off, I told Ino-chan that I would stop at the flower shop. See you around Sui, Hag." With that, he took off leaving the two of us walking in silence. I don't know if it was awkward for her, but it sure as hell was for me. My mind kept going to the fight with Kakashi. He's going o figure it out, I don't know how long it will take, but he is the one that I have to be careful around. Everything in me told to avoid him at all costs, but I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy. Most of my time was going to be spent with Sakura and the people she cares about, and he just so happened to be in that group.

"I am sorry, really I am. I don't know what got into them today. I mean I know Sai was just trying to figure the situation out. He gets lost easily when it comes to interactions... Kakashi though... I really don't get it." She said softly. "It sucks because your family was so kind and excited to have me around. I was hopping for the same, but nope Kakashi had to go off on a tangent." I frowned as I turned my head to her.

"It's fine, he's just being protective." I hated that I was defending the man right now, but if the situation were reversed and it was Yumma who was with someone that I had an off feeling about, I may react the same way.

"No it's really not fine, but thank you for trying to understand." She patted mt arm softly.

We arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later, and the smell was overwhelming. I mean I know that there was going to be a sterile smell, but I was not expecting it to be this strong. The smell of bleach and sanitizer was burning in my nose, so much so that I could feel the tears forming.

"You okay there Sui-chan?" Sakura asked as she placed a hand on his arm.

"Yeah I am fine, the smells just strong in here," I said before letting out a series of sneezes. She laughed next to me causing me to frown and turn my head in her direction.

"Yeah we get that a lot from Kakashi and the Inuzuka clan. It's nearly impossible to get them in here and have them stay." She sighed. "Ok, we are going to be going down a few flights of stairs." She said the sound of a door opening following. She slowly guided me to the stair letting me know when the first step fall was. "You know it isn't like we want it to smell like that in here, but it is needed." I nodded my head, but honestly, I was more concerned with the stairs infront of me. I slowly let my chakra leak out to give me an idea of how many stairs, but once again my downfall was all the vibrations. That issue was really starting to get irritating.

I followed Sakura down what seemed to be five flights of stairs. I wasn't that sure, but I knew that we were underground. The air was cooler, there was less of the hospital smell, and yes, the best one: fewer vibrations. We came to a stop and I could hear the rustle of clothes as Sakura seemed to be searching her body. She stilled then was followed by a swipping noise and an electronic beep.

"Welcome to my lab." She said cheerfully as she grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. "Ok well take a seat here." She took grabbed onto both of my shoulders and pushed me lightly back. I could feel something hitting the back of my upper calf, I bent down and touched what was behind me. Once I determined it was a chair I lowered myself down. After I was sitting I could hear Sakura's step as she whizzed around. "Just let me get what I need." She breathed. There was a succession of drawers opening and closing and glass tapping against itself before she walked back to me, She placed what she had gathered on a table next to me with a loud thunk. "Okay, today I am going to get blood samples and then I will be looking into your sockets to see how things are coming along there. Are you still feeling any pain in them?" I furrowed my brow.

"Yeah, just a little. Nothing like the burning from last night and this morning." I said as she grabbed my arm. She hummed at my response as she rolled up my sleeve and wrapped something around my bicep. I jumped a little as something wet and cold was rubbed on my skin, which was followed the strong smell of alcohol.

"Ok, just going to draw some blood, are you ready? Or do you want me to give you a countdown?" I could hear amusment in her voice as she tapped her fingers against my skin.

"Just do what you need to do," I grumbled at her. She just laughs a little as I feel her push the needle into my skin. It was an odd feeling, the feeling of having the blood leaving my body voluntarily. I tried to think if it felt like this all those years ago when I last had my blood drawn. I wasn't sure, perhaps I was imagining the feeling. That was probably it. My imagination was overactive. Clearing my throat, "So what are you going to be using this for?"  
"Oh, ah with this blood I will be getting your DNA. I will use it to bind with the Hashirama steam cells to form the eyes. Well, that was not only it, you see I also have to look into your blood to see if there are any illnesses, sicknesses, and also your red and white blood count. All that information will tell me how well you will do during and after the surgery." I lick my lips and draw my brow turning my head in her direction.

"Infections or illnesses?"

"Yes, sometimes there are things that we don't know about in our own bodies. Even a small infection will hinder your healing and surgery. So if there is something like that then I'll just clear that up and get you in tip-top shape for those eyes." Her tone was losing the professional edge it had taken on. I smile at her with the warmth that was creeping into her voice. "Anyways this isn't going to take long today. I just have to get the samples then put them in the lab. It will take a day or so for me to get the results back. Then comes the fun part." She presses down on where the needle was placed and slowly draws it out. "Well, I think this will due. Let me get you a cookie and some juice. I took a bit more then I meant so you will really need this." I can hear her shuffle away and the nose of drawers slamming followed by the crinkle of wrappers. She walked back over and placed the food and glass in my hand. "So you eat up, and I will run this to the lab."

She comes back into the room about ten minutes later. I forced myself to eat whatever it was that she left me. She may have said it was a cookie, but it was like cardboard that had sugar sprinkled on it. "Okay, we are done here for the day. How about we grab some lunch? Then we will head back to my place and start your socket therapy after I check them out. I figure we might as well do that there." I smile, but inwardly wince at the mention of the therapy. My lids and sockets were still tender and thinking about having her mess with them more was like asking if you wanted to have sandpaper run over a wound.

She takes us through the village, and I can somewhat get an idea of where it was we were going. That came as a relief. I thought it would take much longer for me to gather my bearings. Though people do tend to be good at adapting. Sakura slows her pace and her hand pulls at mine with a short burst of movement. I frown and grip onto her hand tighter, was there something wrong.

"Hey Shikamaru, Choji, Ino!" She shouts happily as her movement stills then the pace picks up. Waving, she must have been waving. "How does some ramen sound to you?" She asks. I honestly hadn't had ramen in years, actually since I left the village. I nod to her as she pulls us to the side. We walk into a stall and she places my hand down on the backrest of a chair. I try and pull it out only to find that it must have been mounted to the ground. "They spin." She says and places a hand over mine and moved the chair from the left to the right.

"Wow, you actually come here without Naruto. I figured you would avoid ramen at all costs." A man drawls on the other side of Sakura. I spun the chair and took a seat, reaching out I feel for the counter and turn my chair.

"Yeah, you would think so." She laughs as she settles herself into the seat next to me. She places a hand on my arm to gain my attention. "You see to Naruto there is only one food group, well possibly two. Ramen and sweets. If we let him he would eat it for every meal of the day. Though we do tend to eat here more than we should." She patted my arm. I just smirk at her, Yumma was the same with bean buns.

"I think you come around just enough," A males voice chuckles in front of us.

"Teuchi-san I am sure that you would think we come enough." She laughs and withdraws her hand from me.

"Anyways what can I get for you Sakura-chan?" The man asks.

"I think I will go with some miso with crowd pork. How about you Sui-chan?" I frown as she suffexed me in public.

"Oh, I think I will have the same dear Sakura-kun." I smile in her direction as she gives out a playful snort.

"Two please."

"Sure thing, they'll be right up!" The man says cheerfully. I can hear his steps as he walks away then the noise of pans hitting pans and some sizzling of meat cooking.

"Who's your friend Sakura-kun?" The first man asks after a moment. Her clothes shuffle with as she moves next to me. "Damn it woman, I was just asking who your friend it. There is no need to slap a man." He sighs.

"No, kun. Got it Shikamaru?" She snarls at the man. I just raise my eyebrow, but shift my weight so I am facing in his direction.

"Sui," I answer the man.

"See, he answers without violence. Nice to meet you Sui-san, I am Shikamaru." I nod my head in the direction of his voice. Then there was another slapping sound. "Damn it! Seriously what is wrong with you women?"

"I already told you about Sui-kun!" Ino yells. I furrow my brow, kun?

"You are the one that she said cooks better than my mother." A different voice yells out and I was not really sure but I think that there may have been some type of awe in it. I just sit there and nervously smirk, because what the hell else was I going to say? I probably do cook better than your mom? Sakura just sighed next to me.

"Sui, these are my friends. The one that calls every female he knows woman is Shikamaru, Choji is the one that is probably more interested in your cooking then you, and you have met Ino." She sighs. I just once again nod in thier direction.

"That was cold Sakura-chan, I am sure he is more interesting than his cooking." Choji grunts. Thank god, before this awkward conversation could go further the chef places our food infront of us. I nod to him and feel for the chopsticks to only find a tub of paper.

"Sakura, where are the utensils?" I ask as I continue to feel the counter infront of me.

"Oh these are disposable, do you need me to break them apart for you?" She asked as she places the tube of paper in my hand, I frown and shake my head. I am sure that I can figure this out by myself. I felt so weird... I have been blind for a long time, but since coming back to Konoha it was like I was relearning everything. I never really thought of how complacent I was at the inn, or at the small port village that we frequented. I sighed as I broke apart the wood sticks and began to fish for some noodles.

"Oy, Forehead, what are you doing tonight?" Ino yelled over the counter. Slurping my noodles I raised an eyebrow.

"Umm, nothing much. I was planning on a session with Sui, then sleep I guess." I heard her chopsticks scraping around her bowl.

"What? It's the first day of the festival and you are staying home. AAAANNNNNDDDD you are on vacation so you don't have the hospital as an excuse. No, neither of you re staying in. The rookie nine are all getting together to do festival things then we are proceeding on to a bar, or something. It will be fun." Ino whined the last sentence. "Plus what will the village think if you missed it?" Sakura sighed and I felt her shoulder rub against mine as she leaned back.

"I don't really think the village will really care if I didn't show up." She snapped. "Plus, I don't know if Sui will be up to it. He DOES have his therapy and it isn't a walk in the park." That was true. That treatment hurt like hell.

"Whatever I know that you can numb him up. Oh, and you think that the village will be not be upset if you don't go? Hell yeah, they will remember when Kakashi skipped out on it last year?" I felt Sakura tense next to me. "Yeah, they will think the same of you." I chewed slowly as the girls talked. Sakura had talked about a festival but I never really thought about it, villages always had always had festivals that only they would celebrate. I tried to figure our what this one was going to mark.

"What is the festival for?" I asked not wanting to sort out all the holy days and what not. I could hear a cough from the other side of the table.

"Are you serious?" One of the men asked in a lazy tone. I nodded in thier direction.

"The end of the fourth great ninja war and the peace of the nations!" I am pretty sure that it was Choji that yelled. I fought the frown that wanted to make an appearance. Technically it would be four more weeks until the mark of the end of the war. It was not a time that I had any interest in celebrating.

"Yeah, and since team seven played such a big role in winning, if one of it's members that were ACTUALLY in the village flaked out on the first night, people would think that they were looking down on the village," Ino said as Sakura snorted.

"Come one people use it as a reason to get together, party and drink. Plus I don't even think they would notice if I didn't go." Sakura bit, her shoulder rubbed against me as she shifted in her seat again. I frowned as I took a breath in. The idea of being in a festival full of people who were watching her made me feel nervous, but I couldn't ask her to not go because of me.

"I don't have a problem going if you want to," I said softly as I pulled more noodles up. "Or if you want to go by yourself I can just stay at home," I added on quickly. Honestly, that would be the best. She could just let me sleep off the therapy and she would be able to go out with her friends.

"Oh no, I can't just leave you at home. What kind of a host would I be?" Sakura asked as if the very notion was horrific. I shook my head that was a bit drastic.

"You would be a fine host Sakura. I don't expect you to revolve around me. I mean if I was staying at an inn would you still want me to come?" I shrugged and shoved more noodles into my mouth.

"Yeah, I would ask you to come even if you weren't staying with me... I mean I thought that you would like to hang out." Inwardly I sighed at her dejected tone. That was not what I meant not at all. Even though when I had first met the girl she did irritate me like no other.

"No, that's not what I mean." I shook my head. "I do enjoy your company, but I just thought you would want to spend time with your friends is all." She snorted as I heard her place her chopsticks down.

"Yeah, and you are my friend also." Ok, this was going to go nowhere, there was no use in fighting this woman. Nope. So as Yosh word say sometimes you just have to back down with women and let them have their way.

"Okay, if you want me there I will be," I smiled at her.

"Good so you two are coming!" Ino yelled across the table.

"Damn it! How the hell did you talk me into something when you didn't even want to come with?" I raised a brow. That was a good question, and I had no idea how. I sighed as I pushed my mostly empty bowl away. Suddenly thin arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders and pulled Sakura and I closer together.

"It will be fun, well most of it. I'll come and collect you two at seven or seven thirty. That works right?" Ino asked excitedly as her arms squeezed us tighter. Raising my hand I pulled myself out of her grip. The ninja of this village were never this touchy feely before. Was it just this generation?

"Yeah, that is fine." Sakura sighed as she pushed the girl back. "Well, we better get going. We still have your therapy and Pig will probably be over at six thirty." She leaned into me while she seemed to be searching for something. The soft sound of paper rubbing against the paper was then followed by the sound of her hand hitting the counter. She grabbed onto my arm and gently pulled me out of my seat. We said a brief farewell to her friends and made our way back to her apartment.

The therapy session had gone on for an hour and a half, though it felt like it had been days. My socks had been burning since she started and now they were throbbing with pain. I was forced to remind myself not to clench my teeth as they felt like they were going to break. Every once in a while, I couldn't help myself from wincing, which was almost always followed by her apologizing softly.

"I know it hurt, but I am almost done then I will be able to numb it." I could hear the frown in her words. I just grunted and fought my body to remain still. It would all be worth it, that's what I had to remind myself. When everything was said and done it would be worth it. Well with this pain I prayed it was worth it.

She worked for another twenty minutes before there was a knock on the door. Letting out a string of curses she withdrew her chakra from me and stood. I winced as she moved off of my lap, it caused me to inhale sharply as my head moved with her movement. I thought that the last therapy session was brutal, but this one topped it. Was it going to get worse every time? The pain was something I could handle, but this was beyond what I had experienced in the field. I think this may have been worse than taking senbons under my nails and that was brutal. I let out a groan as I fought to keep my hands away from my face.

"You haven't even started to get ready?" I could hear Ino screech from the other room. Was it already seven? I know that I was having a hard time with telling time during the session.

"Ino-Pig, you said that you wouldn't be here until seven. It's six thirty now and I just got done with Sui's therapy but I still need to go numb him up. Really being early is just as bad as being late." She sighed as she began to walk back to her bedroom. "Wait out here for a minute. I promise we will be ready by seven." She said as she opened the door and slid in.

"You better look cute too! It's a festival so you have to dress nicely." Ino yelled from the other room. I could hear her footsteps as she walked to the bed. She snorted as I felt the dip in the mattress as she sat next to me.

"Yes, Mother!" She yelled as she placed her fingers on my temples. I sighed as I felt her begin to numb the area. "Now, I am going to really numb you up. Like to the point that if you got black eye you wouldn't notice. So I advise you not to run into anything." She said softly. I just sat still and let her do her work taking in the blissful feeling of nothingness. Why couldn't she do this before the sessions? "Alright, we are done. I guess it is time to get ready." She said as she dropped her hand from my temple, but not before her fingers softly ran over my cheek. "Well, got to make sure I look cute." She laughed as she stood from the bed. "Do you want to shower? Because I am going to take a quick on." I just nodded at her. The therapy had caused me to sweat not to mention that I already broke a sweat this morning after the spar. A shower was probably a wise idea. "Ok, I'll let you know when I am done." I heard her leaving as she softly shut the door. Sighing I leaned back and let my head rest against the head board

I was only sitting there for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door before it slowly opened. I raised my brow as I turned my head feeling the chakra that was coming in. It seemed Ino was not okay with waiting in the living room.

"You know the same goes for you." She snorted as she walked in. "I do hope you have something more acceptable to wear then... that." Now it was my turn to snort at the girl. Of course, I had no clue about what clothing I had. All I knew was that I had shirts, boxers and pants. Yosh assured me that most of the clothes that I owned matched and that was always good enough for me.

"I thought you said that I didn't look like a homeless person." I sighed as I pulled myself off of the bed. She clicked her tongue and I could hear her start to rummage through my drawers. Sure, because it was completely normal to go through someone you had just met things. It was a good thing that I didn't unpack all the Icha... Then there was a pop of a scroll.

"What is this!?" I could hear the scroll and books drop. I quickly got off of the bed to drop to the ground picking up the contents that fell from the scroll. I grit my teeth as I stacked them. She had no right to go through my things. She really had no right to open any scrolls. "Why do you have these? You can't read them." She said right next to me. I could hear her thumbing through a volume. Reaching out I grabbed what she had in her hand and placed it on the others.

"It is none of your concern," I growled out at her. I can feel her tense next to me. "If you want to go through my clothes, you should have asked. They are in the top two drawers. That is all that I own and I don't know what the hell they look like." I try to say evenly, though I couldn't help some of the anger that laced my word.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean... I just thought that there were clothes in it." She said softly. Her clothes rustled as she stood slowly as I collected the rest of my book. Sighing I stand up.

"It's fine. Did you find anything you deemed suitable?" I ask bending down picking up the stack of books and placing them on the night table. I hear her shuffle a bit then hear the pull of drawers opening once again.

"Yeah, I think this will be fine. I'll just place them on the bed." She said in the same soft voice. "Umm, would you like something done with your hair?" I sigh and turn into her direction, one eyebrow cocked. Really? I was starting to feel like a child that's mother was trying to get them prepared to go out. She let out a nervous laugh and began to walk to the door. "We'll just tie it back once you are out of the shower." I am a advocate of picking your battles, and the one thing that I knew was, it was going to be easier to just let her have this win.

"Okay, the shower is all yours." Sakura voice came from the doorway. I nod to her and make my way to the bathroom.

The streets were insane. What I had experienced earlier was nothing compared to the madness that was happening around us. Sakura held my hand tight as we somehow walked down the street. People were packed tightly around us as we squeezed around. I know that Sakura and Ino were talking ahead of me but there was too much noise for me to make out what they were saying. I really tried to concentrate but this was overload like I had never experience. I was constantly getting touched, it was loud far too loud, the smells of fried food, perfume, body odor, was enough to make my stomach turn, and then the vibrations from having so many people moving around me. I tried to control the coiling of my muscles, but with every step I took, I became stiffer and stiffer. I didn't know how long we walked through the ocean of people but we finally came to a space where the crowd thinned out.

"Hey, guys!" Ino yelled as Sakura pulled me forward. There was a series of greetings before they started to have conversations amongst themselves.

"Who is this? Did Sakura actually get herself a boyfriend?" A man asks next to me, and I swear that I heard him sniffing the air. I just take a breath in, but before I could say anything someone was yelling a response.

"That is not possible! I would have known if Sakura would have chosen to share her youth with someone!" I cringed as the man got louder as he talked. Sakura shifted on her feet, her arm brushing against mine, and let out a sigh.

"Oh, come on Kiba, you know she is just waiting for the Uchiha." A woman sighed to my right. I furrow my brow, she is waiting for Sasuke? That seemed odd, she had only brought him up a handful of times. You would think that if she was waiting for him she would have brought him up more.

"Whatever," Sakura growled out. "This is Sui, he is a friend and he'll be staying with me for a while. Sui, these are my friends and comrades. There is Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and you have met Shikamaru, Choji, Ino and of course Naruto and Sai." I nod at the introductions. I feel each person's chakra. I couldn't tell which one belonged to which name, but that would come in time.

I didn't talk much, mainly because I was distracted by everything that was going on around me. It was fine, though. They seemed to be content catching up with each other. I couldn't really say that I was enjoying myself. The group stopped at a few food stalls and played a few games before deciding that it was time to move away from the main festival. Though there was one stop that made me feel out of place.

The group slowly made it's way to the cenotaph. It seemed like I was intruding. The constant chatter that had followed them slowly died down as we walked closer. I could feel a few people that were there, but it was still quite. The only noise was the distant rumble that was coming from the festival. I know that I shouldn't feel unease being here since I knew people who's names were now engraved on the stone, but I couldn't help it. So I hung back from the group of young ninjas, letting them pay thier respects.

As I was standing I felt Sakura approaching me. "This is a place to honor our fallen comrades. So many were lost during the war." She said softly as she took my hand and gave it a squeeze. I nodded to her well aware of the loss from it. We stood in silence for a few moments before I felt a group of chakra signatures approach. I frown slightly as I was already familiar with two of them.

"Kakashi and Yamato are here." I softly say to Sakura. I could feel her body turn and the slight shake from her giving them a wave.

"I am surprised you brought him with here." Kakashi drawled as he walked up to us.

"What is this nonsense that you speak of Kakashi? Anyone that comes to pay respect to proud and brave souls who perished in the line of duty are more than welcome here." A man said in a loud voice that was much lower than the rest of us. Kakashi grunted at the man before they began to walk off. Yamato quietly walked up to us taking a place next to Sakura. We remained silent, though it was not an uncomfortable.

A few moments later Kakashi came walking back over. I inwardly sighed as the air became thick with tension. He stood Next to Yamato quietly saying that the other man needed a minute alone. Both Yamato and Sakura gave a small hum and once again we stood silently.

"You know I still can't believe that Rock did this for all the hidden villages," Yamato said quietly breaking the silence between us. I furrowed my brow and turned my head towards the man. I didn't know what he meant, what could Rock possibly have to offer the Leaf?

"I agree, though it is thanks to them that we were able to put every name on it. The amount of people that enlisted was numerous and they deserved to have thier names placed on the cenotaph." Kakashi said. My whole body stiffened as I reached out for Sakura's hand. I never thought that thier names would be placed here. Sakura jumped at the sudden contact. I turned my head in her direction I don't even know what emotion was showing on my face, but it seemed that she understood as she placed a hand over mine.

"Rock extended all the Memorials in all of the hidden villages. I am sorry I was too caught up in our own that I forgot." She said softly as she squeezed my hand. "Would you like me to take you to them?" I couldn't bring myself to say anything but nodded my head. She walked us slowly to the stone. I could feel Yamato and Kakashi once again watching us as Sakura took my hand. "What are the names we are looking for?"

"Maki Goro," I said roughly. She gave my hand one last squeeze and let it go before walking forward. It took her a few minutes before she came back once again taking my hand in hers. We took a few steps before she stopped and lifted my hand and placed it on the stone. It was cold and smooth under my fingertip. I bit my lip as I traced his name. Noni had placed makeshift headstones on the border of the forest for them, but thier names were painted on and not engraves. So when I touched them I felt nothing but the surface of the rock. It was an odd feeling being able to actually feel his name. It brought all the emotion that had been pushed aside back to the for front. I traced over it one more time before turning to Sakura. "Maki Yumma." I said thickly.

We repeated the process over again. She left me briefly to find the name then lead me over so that I could trace it. I spent more time on Yumma's name. It was not because she was more important to me the Goro, no they were my brother and sister, but because the next name was Hisako. I was well aware that she was not coming back, and any fantasy that I had of her walking up to me had long faded, but to touch her name it felt so final. Taking a deep breath I stood straight and turned to Sakura.

"Maki Hisako." My voice trembled as her name fell from my lips. I had to remind myself to continue to keep breathing as Sakura looked for her name. It felt like it took her longer to find and for some reason, I found myself getting anxious. Until I felt her small hand enter the palm of my hand and guide me a few steps. She raised my hand slowly to the stone for the last time.

The moment I felt the characters under my fingers the world around me grew quite. Slowly I let the tips of my fingers press into the grooves of the stone. I trace her name gently, that was until I counted the letters. There were far too many. I furrowed my brow and frowned as I turned my head towards Sakura.

"There are too many letters." My voice came out sharp at her. I couldn't help but feel agitated that she could have lead me to the wrong name. Logically I knew it was a mistake, but to think that I was touching her name and have it turn out to be a strangers.

"No, that is her." Sakura said quietly. My frown deepens as I run my finger over it again. No, it wasn't her there are too many letters, too many names in this one.

"No it isn't," I spat. I was becoming angery and I know that I shouldn't be but it was just bubbling up. I felt Kakashi flare his chakra and Yamato's also becoming stronger. I couldn't give a fuck about those two right now.

"It is hers." Sakura said as she grabbed my hand. She pushed my finger back into the grooves. "Maki" She said slowly as she traces it with me. "Sui... Hisako." I felt a lump rise in my throat once she finished the name. She claimed my name so that even in death we would remain intertwined. I run my fingers over it again. Did her tags also read like this? I clenched my jaw as I allowed myself to fall to my knees keeping my hand on the stone. Once again the feeling of silence took over, like I was the only one there. Nothing around me mattered. 


	18. Chapter 18

I have never been much of a drinker. It wasn't that I thought that there was anything wrong with indulging. If I had my eyes perhaps I would have taken to being drunk occasionally. But no, I didn't like to drink because once I felt the start of the buzz it was hard for me to feel vibrations, to control my chakra. Once the alcohol was in my system it let me know how much I had to focus on everything just to live. It made my feel like I was losing my sight all over again.

Today, this night, I didn't want to be in control. I didn't want to think. After leaving the memorial I felt as if scabs had been violently torn from old wounds, not only uncovering them but creating bigger holes in the long run. It had been two years, and I still yearned for them like they left yesterday. I missed them and feeling their names under my fingers let me know just how much. It started with them, then I began to miss Noni, Yosh, and Koji. I even began to miss the animals on the farm even the fucking roosters. Everything was so different here. I was surrounded by strangers, but what was odd was I also knew them. Well, atleast knew thier names. So here I sat in the smokey bar on my third sake. The world was officially becoming foggy, but I was ok with that at the moment. I sat taking note of my fading world while Sakura and her friends chattered on. I took another sip, hoping that my emotions would begin to dull as my world was.

"We should play a game!" A woman's voice yelled across the table. Was it Ino or Tenten? I couldn't tell at this point. Though I was pretty sure it wasn't the one that they called Hinata, since I hadn't heard a word out of her since I was introduced. I lazily raise a brow as I turned my head in the direction of others.

"Hell yeah, I am down for a game!" Naruto yelled from the other side of the table. A few groans came from around me and made me frown a bit. "Yo! Kakashi-sensei, Yamato! We are playing some drinking games! Come on and join us!" He bellowed over the table. This time, it was my turn to groan. I had known that they were both there, but since we had left the stone the two had left me alone. Unfortunately, they chose to go to the same bar as us and had seated themselves at the bar close to the table. Though they were far enough for me to occasionally forget their presences.

"Ah, Naruto I believe that drinking games are for..." Yamato started but was cut off by Kakashi.

"Sure, why not?" Kakashi said in a lazy tone. I snorted as I took another sip of my drink. I am pretty sure my reaction went unnoticed, but then again I was really starting to not give a fuck about anything. That thought made me smile. It was nice to not care.

"What are we going to play?" A woman nearly whispered.

"Well does anyone have any cards on them?" One of the boys said. Kiba maybe? Trying to figure this shit out was too much work right now.

"Who carries around a deck of cards? Let's just play a word game. Like truth or dare, or I have never." That was definitely Ino.

"I don't think truth or dare is wise. Whenever you guys play that it winds up in a spar and one that takes place in the village. If I do remember correctly you all just got done paying for the damage you all caused a few months ago." Kakashi said as he sat at a seat close to me. I ran my tongue over my teeth in annoyance. If he didn't like me why the hell is he in my general area? There was a moment of silence before Shikamaru spoke up.

"It seems we are down to I have never," He sighed. I felt Sakura shift in her seat a bit before leaning into me.

"Do you know how to play?" She loudly whispered into my ear, her warm breath fanning over cheeks. Slowly I turn my head to her direction as a sloppy smile pulled on my lips.

She had met Koji right? He was the type that loved bar games and often used them to playfully pick up women. Though, more often than naught he just wound up with me walking him back to the boat or to an inn for the night.

"Don't worry about me hunny," I think that I was slurring. Maybe. I shrug to myself as I finished off the remainder of my sake. Hopefully, the server would be back soon. Sakura snorted as she pushed her shoulder into mine nearly knocking my off of my chair. I chuckled... Ok, maybe it was a giggle. No grown man should be giggling, I thought as I straighten myself.

"Who first?" Someone yells.

"Fine, I'll go. I have never used... A shadow technique."

"Ohh come on! Let's not use just ninja shit with this. I mean we could go down the table and say "I have never done mind transfer, I have never used Chidori, I have never blah blah blah. Make the game interesting at least." A woman snapped. "I mean unless it is something really interesting. Like: I have never slept with someone on a mission that I didn't have to." The table began to laugh.

"And you have to remember that not all of us are shinobi," Sakura said as she patted me on the back. I just smirked and shrugged at the group. Sure I wasn't shinobi anymore, but by the time I had left... well, more like fell out of the village.. I had gone on more missions than someone who was twice my age. They didn't need to know that, though.

"Well fine..." They began to ask questions and drink, most of them were about what sexual partners, doing stupid shit while drunk. The occasional mission was brought up. I tried to base my drinking off of the life that I had on the island. While there were a few events that were life changing, to say the least, most of my time was what people would consider boring. So I drank here and there, but none of the nevers that I had drank to would raise any brows.

"I have never killed more than ten people in one night," someone said. Yup, I have done that so I replied by taking a drink. I could feel Sakura stiffen as I realized the mistake I just made. Maybe, this is another reason that I never drank also. It tended to make lips loose.

"Sui?" Surprise laced her voice as she put a small hand on my arm. Fuck. Act stupid. Act like Koji when he was drunk.

"Hmmm?" I asked as I let my hear wobble as I turned my head to her, my brows raised.

"You have killed more than ten people in one night?" I force a shocked look on my face as I pull my head back. Lie, I needed to lie. Good thing I was a damn good liar. Well, that was when I was sober. Hopefully, I still had my talent while drinking.

"What?" I attempt to raise my brows higher. "No, I just wanted another drink," I said as I raise my bottle. I can feel her shoulder brush against me as she laughs next to me. I just smirk as I shake my head.

"Do you really think that I would be able to kill that many people in one night?" I snort. I can hear someone else snorting also, my smile falters a bit but I try and ignore them. At this point, I couldn't tell who was who, or even knew what my surrounding were.

"Oh, I have never purchased a copy of Icha Icha!" Naruto yelled. I dryly laugh to myself. Really was it so bad if anyone did? I wonder as I took another gulp of Sake. "Wait. I mean I knew Kaka-Sensei would drink to that, but you Sui! I thought that Sakura said that you lost your eyes when you were a kid. What were you some kind of perv early in life?!" He screamed as I heard a few thunks on the table.

"Thirteen," I slurred as I leaned back in my chair. "Though I didn't know about Icha Icha until I was in my twenties." I took another draw of drink, wiping my hand against my lips.

"I know that Pervy sensei didn't make it in those bumpy books!" He yelled. Was his volume always on high? Why was there a need to be so loud? I frowned and shook my head.

"You mean braille you, idiot?" Sakura growled out.

"Yeah, braille. Pervy sensei wanted to make the illustrated parts to have... umm textures and wanted to put it in that, but they never did," He was soooooo fucking loud.

"My fiance use to read them to me," I slurred. I couldn't help the smirk on my lips as I thought of her voice reading those racy pages. I am sure that she would have had the most beautiful blush.

"Fiance ay? Kakashi you should see if she has a sister. That sounds like your dream girl." Yamato chuckled as my smile began to fall. Then I thought about how Yumma would have dealt with Kakashi's bullshit. I snort as I shake my head, she wouldn't have, no she was too much like Noni. She didn't take that shit. Silly me for even questioning that.

"Oh, she did have one. Though I think that she wouldn't like him very much. She was never one for passive aggression. Would have used her chakra talons on you." A laugh bubbles out of my belly as I flexed my fingers. "And she thought that Icha Icha was trashy porn, never could get her to even read one chapter. She wouldn't listen to Hisako at all when she even told her that they were good. They were polar opposites. Hisako was sweet and soft, Yumma was prickly and abrasive. Too much like Noni," I was probably babbling, but I didn't care at the moment. A full smile spreads on my face. It felt good to smile when I thought of them and to laugh at the memories. I felt so content in this feeling I didn't notice that the table had gone quiet.

"Were and was," Shikamaru said slowly. I raise my brow at him. And just shake my head.

"You are perceptive." I chuckle as I point my finger in his direction, or I think was his direction. Who really cared at this moment? Not I. "They died. Their names are on that stone along with my brother." I shrug. I take another drink of sake and wait for the heavy feeling to start, but it didn't. The information was coming off of my lips like I was talking about the weather or the news. I shake my head, I just needed to roll with it. Enjoy the feeling of not feeling sorrow when I talked about them.

"Sorry, I..." Yamato started.

"About what? You didn't know. The dickhead next to you didn't know either. No reason to be sorry. They chose to fight without me. You didn't." I shrugged as I cleared the rest of the bottle of sake... This was... five? Six? Ah, who the hell cares.

"Dickhead?" Kakashi said slowly. I had to laugh at the annoyance in his tone.

"Yeah, dickhead. That's what you are. I mean who else tries to punch a blind man without knowing if he can fight back. Then you try to electrocute me. All in all, I say those are dickhead moves." I say smiling. Happy. Drinking apparently made me happy and Mr. Lightening wasn't going to burst my bubble.

"Huh," Kakashi responded.

"That all you got, Huh. I was expecting something more from the Copy Nin." I clicked my tongue as I smirked.

"Ooookay, I think you need some fresh air," Sakura chuckled. Maybe it was a nervous laugh. I frown as I turn my head in her direction.

"There is air in here. Without it we would all be in some serious trouble," I purse my lips as I take a long breath in through my nose to set an example. See we need air.

"Fresh air. Fresh air that is outside." She nearly growled. I just pout yet another thing that a grown man shouldn't do.

"But I want to get another drink." I whine as I lift my empty bottle.

"Ugh, fine! We'll stop at the bar and get you another bottle. Then we can drink it on the porch, outside with some fresh air," She said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of my chair. I nearly fall out but catch myself at the last moment. I clumsily follow after her. What was the big rush to get outside?

"Bottle of sake!" Sakura yells as she stops suddenly. I bump into her, my hands reaching out and grabbing onto her.

"Oh, well hello there," She said as she places her hand over mine. I flex my fingers and figure out that I am holding onto her hips. I should let go, I should be embarrassed that I am holding onto her, my chest against her back, but I can't. No, it felt nice, and that is what tonight was about feeling good for one fucking minute, one fucking night.

She moves one hand off of mine and bends forward. I raise my brow as I feel her weight shifting. Suddenly she was pulling one of my hands off of her hip as she turns then places a cool sake into my hand. "Come on, lets get going outside." She grabs my hand and drags me through the bar all while I begin to nurse the drink in my hand.

"Was there a reason you wanted to get outside, or you just want to get me alone buttercup?" I ask as I flop down into a chair on the patio of the bar. Sakura laughs as I heard the sound of a chair scrapping on the floor.

"Buttercup?" She scoffs. I smirk over the top of my drink.

"Yeah Sakura-kun, it is a flower also ya know," I say as I take another draw of sake.

"Yes, I am aware of that. I thought you might need to take a break before you and Kakashi started to brawl," She sighs and I frown. I wasn't going to start a fight or anything with the man, just telling him the truth. I snort at her.

"Aww sweetie, I wasn't trying to start anything with your sensei," I sighed as I leaned back into my chair.

"Pfft. So, what? You get flirty when you fight and when you drink," she laughed as she patted my arm.

"Well, I wouldn't know. I have never been drunk before..." I purse my lips and furrow my brow pondering for a moment. "I think that I am really drunk." I slur as I bring the bottle back to my lips.

"Oh, you are drunk my friend. Wait... You have never drank before?" She gasped.

"I have drank," I scoff. "I just have never drank to get drunk. Maybe one glass here and there, but never multiples at once. I can now see why Noni and Koji do it." I laugh as I smile in her direction. She laughs back at me as she pats my arm again.

"It does have its' perks, though now I feel like a bad influence," I just shake my head.

"Na, how can the one that is going to give me sight be a bad influence? Unless you plan on taking my innocence away? Are you Sakura-kun?" I ask raising a brow. Wait. It almost felt like I was purring at her. What the fuck was up with that?

"Right. That's me, the taker of innocence. Everyone needs a hobby." I hear the clank of her glass on the table.

"Shots! Take the shots!" A voice bellows from behind us.

"Wait? Why?" Sakura asks.

"They want to drunken fist," Shikamaru sighs behind me. I lazily let my chakra leak out but realize that I can't feel anything. I would be so fucked if I got into a fight.

Wait... What is drunken fist?

"Seriously, remember what Kakashi said? We just got done paying off the damage," Sakura sighs.

"Oh, that is why we are going to the training fields. More importantly, _your_ training fields. So we are taking two shots now, then once we get there we take another. Or two or three. Whatever gets the juices flowing" Ino said as she wrapped her arms around both Sakura and I. I think. "Plus, we talked your sensei and woods to do it also."

"His name is Yamato, or Tenzo, Ino." She sighed. "Everyone is going?"

"Hell yeah, everyone is going! So get up off your asses and take your shots. Hey, where is Sui's?" Naruto yells.

"I thought that Sakura said that he wasn't a ninja." Another drawls.

"He may not be a shinobi but the guy knows how to fight. Ask any of team Kakashi."

"It is true. He fights very well."

"Whatever, lets get going!"

With a lot of yelling, pulling and stumbling we make our way to the training field. I thought I was blind when I first entered the village due to the vibrations, well, that seemed like a clear day compared to how I was doing at the moment. I couldn't see shit, and never before had I had the feeling of being okay with it. I was just rolling with the drunken waves.

"Who is going against who?" I think it was Naruto that was yelling, though at this point everyone is yelling and loud.

"Forehead! You and me! It has been a long time since we have gone head on!" Ino yells as I think she grabs Sakura. The only reason I think that was because suddenly I feel Sakura's small hand being taken out of mine.

"I guess it is going to be ladies first," someone chuckles behind me. I lazily turn my head and smile, stumbling a bit before I feel another hand on my arm.

"Careful there chief," A warm tone greets me. I frown at the voice trying to shake the hand off of me. "Relax man, just taking you over to where we are going to sit for the show." Yamato. Thats who was pulling me. Sighing I let him lead me for a few steps then flop down as he pulls me down. "Drunken fist. Really I don't get what their obsession is with it." He sighs next to me. I just shake my head and snort.

"I don't even know what it is all about," I say as I lean back on my elbows.

"Have you met Lee?"

"Maybe. I met a lot of new people today, and my reco... recollection isn't that grand at the moment," I drawl.

"HEY! No chakra Forehead! What are you trying to kill me?" My head turns to the field as Ino screeches.

"Sorry, it is just instinct at this point.. Sorry,"I hear Sakura cry back. "I promise I won't do it again!"

"Good, because if you do I will mind switch you with a squirrel! I can do it you know!"

I roll my tongue around my drying mouth, maybe drunken fist was dangerous. "So what is going on here? I am having a hard time figuring it out," I sigh.

"Well, some really sloppy taijutsu. Seems Sakura and Ino are not as up to par with Lee. Oh, that's right. So Lee, well he has the uncanny ability that when he drinks he becomes this amazing fighter. So when the rookies are together they feel the need to go ahead and see if they can do it also," He sighed. "At least they made it to the training field this time." I hum at the explanation and listen to the small grunts and thunks coming from the training field. "I suppose they need to let out some steam."

There was a lull in the conversation, and normally it might be uncomfortable, but right now I was fine. I sat as the world began to spin a bit and I listened to the chatter going on around us.

"Uncle!" Ino yells.

"No uncle, you have to say it! Say it for EVERYONE to hear!" Sakura roars.

"Forehead has once again won!"

"ALL OF IT! And use my name PIG!"

"Sakura has once again beat me! She is still better at fighting than me!" She slurs and an amazingly wicked cackle comes from Sakura. I raise my brow at the sound. It was like that of a child getting away with something that they shouldn't.

"That's a scary noise," I murmur. Yamato just snorts next to me.

"You really have no idea how scary she can be. Takes after her teacher," Yamato laughs.

"My, my Tenzo, I am not really that scary," I stiffen as I hear Kakashi's voice come from the other side of the man. Was he always there?

"Pfft, like you really taught the girl anything. There you go taking credit for the work of someone else, Senpai" Yamato snorts. I push myself up and scratch the back of my head, a little startled as I feel the hair gathered at the nape of my neck. When did that happen? I never wear my hair back. I frown as I remember Ino has played dress up with me before we left.

"You doing okay over there?" Kakashi drawled. I drop my hand from my hair and turn my head toward him waiting for someone to respond. "Yeah I am talking about you kid," I frown.

"Why are you asking?" I ask as I lean back again. It seemed gravity was far too strong at the moment. He hummed as a response.

"Just looked surprised is all."

"Who is next?" Sakura's voice echoed over the field.

"ME!" That was definitely Naruto.

"Seems you are up Senpai," I heard a slap of a hand on a back.

"Shots! Take your shots!" The ball of sunshine yelled again. I heard Kakashi's clothes rustle then his groan.

"Let's get on with it then," He sighs as I think he starts to walk to the field. I just sit and wait for Sakura to return, a little disappointed that she had taken her time in getting back.

"You know he really isn't that bad," Yamato said softly next to me. I frown in his direction not knowing where he was going with this.

"What?" I ask as I let myself lay down all the way. I briefly wonder if the sky was clear. I use to love coming to the training fields as a child and star gaze. I can barely remember what the sky looks like now.

"Kakashi, I know that he can seem to be... a dickhead, as you put it." There was a pause in which I raised my brow at the sentence. Of course, the man would take up for his friend. "Well, actually he can be. I mean he takes credit for other peoples work, he NEVER pays his bill when you are out with him. I mean I paid for his drinks tonight. Then there is the fact that if there is something he doesn't want to do he just pawns it off on someone, and I am always stupid enough to do it." He scoffed. "Well that really isn't aiding him, now is it?" A chuckle comes from him. No, now he was just elevated to a giant dick head. "But really, he has his flaws, but he cares about those kids. He has a thing about the people that he cares about, it's like as if he thinks that they will just disappear one day." He was silent, maybe waiting for me to say something but I didn't know what to say. I understood loss more than the man next to me knew. "He has lost a lot, and has some... issues because of it." Sighing I lift myself up.

"You don't need to defend him to me. He maybe a fine and dandy friend with you, but I don't think that we will ever be buddies. Kinda killed it when he shattered a part of my skull ya know?" I said as I drop down again. He sighs next to me again but I ignore it. Kakashi would probably always be a dickhead to me.

"That was over faster than expected," I smile as Sakura takes a seat next to me. I feel relief that she is back. She is the familiar in unfamiliar surroundings. "How can Kakashi possibly be that good while drunk?" She slurs and sighs.

"Practice Sakura-chan," Kakashi's now cheerful voice appears in front of us. "Tenzo you're next, who are you going to spar with?"

"Sui! Go against Sui!" Naruto demands. "Take your drinks boys!" I felt a bottle drop onto my stomach. I grab onto it as I pull myself up.

"You don't have to.." Sakura starts. I shake my head and hold up my hand.

"No, it's ok. I can have a go," I say as I take a few long draws of whatever it was that was tossed at it. It is flavorless and it burns as it goes down. I let out a cough as I pull the bottle from my lips. "Show me the way woods."

"Woods? Really? Ok blind one," Yamato coughs as I assume he finished taking his drink.

"Blind one?" I scoff as he grabs onto my arm. "I mean come one that is less original than me."

"Oh, I know of a few nicknames that you have but I doubt you want me to say them now," He sighs as he drags me along. I furrow my brown not quite getting what he meant, but not really caring either. He brings us to a stop after a few steps. I sway a bit before I drop into a defensive stance. Yamato said something but I didn't get it. I let my chakra creep out, and still, I was getting nothing.

"I really am blind," I mutter before I suddenly feel his chakra coming at me like a rock. I dodge his fist, but I wasn't quick enough as he grazes my cheek. I know that I felt the contact, and in the back of my mind I know it hurt, but I just couldn't feel it. I smile as my head wobbles a bit. He comes at me again, this time with his foot... or hisarm has gotten substantially bigger and longer. Anyways the results are the same as the punch. Yeah, I feel him but it is too late. It seems that I have to have him basically right on top of me to feel him. I shake my head as I laugh at that thought. Having a guy on me just did nothing for me.

His fist hits my cheek as I was thinking about how I didn't want to have to fight that close. It really makes me believe that this drunken fist thing just isn't for me. I try and right myself but he is once again aiming to hit me. I drop down as I... Indeed I did successfully dodge him. Now I think that I am moving fast and slow at the same time as I kick my leg out trying to topple him. Did it work? Well, now I could really feel him as he fell down on top of me. I reach out for his arm to attempting to pin him under me.

Sloppy, we grapple on the ground groping, kicking and somewhat hitting until we were both panting and barely hitting each other. We had to look like... Drunken fools.

"Okay, I think you two need to call it a draw," Sakura laughs. I let myself lay flat on the ground and let out a long sigh. "That was a little embarrassing to watch." I can hear the smile in her voice. I tilt my head as I frown in her direction. "Really it was quite awkward. You two should get up. Shikamaru and Choji are next." I feel her hand reach down and grab my hand. I let her pull me up and lead me to the sidelines. I dropped down and took a seat next to her.

We just sit and I feel my mind going in and out of attention. I was almost drifting off when a laugh jarred me awake. I had to remind myself that it was Sakura and not Hisako.

It really was amazing how similar they sounded. "Oh, I thought you and Yamato were pitiful, but these two make you seem like you had a proper spar." I lazily nod as I lean into her. "Really, they are slapping each other. Like just standing there slapping each other." I hum at her. This really wasn't comfortable. Leaning was not a good position right now. I find myself sliding down until I was laying with something warm and firm under my head. I smile to myself as I feel her hands begin to run through my hair. It was one of the most comforting feeling that I have felt in a long time.

"Sui," Slowly I am pulled from my sleep. "Sui, we should really get going home. I don't feel like sleeping in the training fields." I nod as I groan pulling myself up to a sitting position. My head still spinning and I all I wanted to do was to go to sleep. She grabs onto my arm and leads me through the town. We stop every now and then to bid goodnight to her friends. I lean into her as she supports my weight. At the moment I was really grateful that she was such a beast. Though, I wouldn't tell her that. I suspect that most women wouldn't take kindly to be called a beast. Or a monster. I had heard the others saying her strength was monstrous. I didn't like to think of her asa monster, though.

"You doing okay there?" She whispers in my ear as she adjusts my weight against her. I smirk at her and let her manhandle me humming my response. "Ok, good we are almost home." Good, home is good. Even if it isn't my home. Someplace with a bed is good.

She guides me or almost carries me the rest of the way. Once we enter her apartment she lets out a sigh and lets me go. I stumble a bit backward until I hit the wall. I don't know why I thought it was funny, but the idea of falling into a wall made me laugh, which in turn made her laugh. It just went down from there. She was laughing because I was laughing then I began laughing because she was laughing at me. None of it made sense. I feel her lean against the wall next to me and I turn my head smiling at her. I don't know what made me do it, but I reach out for her face. The moment I touch her face I feel her stiffen.

"Sorry," I mutter. "I just wanted to feel what it felt like when you were smiling." I sigh. I jump as I feel her hands go over mine.

"No, it's ok. I get it." She said as she raised my hand to her face. I smile to her as I feel the apples of her cheeks raise under my fingers. Her skin begins to tighten as she grins at me. Running my fingers down her full warm cheeks I let them ghost over her lips that were smooth and taunt with the grin she had on her face. Feeling how large her smile was made my smile spread even farther. There was a short bust of air as she once again began to laugh.

"Gods, that laugh. You sound so much..." I whisper. Before I knew what I was doing I find myself lowering my head and brushing my lips against hers. Her once taunt lips begin to slacken under mine. I hesitate before moving my lips against hers. Slowly she begins o respond to my movements. Our lips pressing against each other as she slightly begins to open her mouth. Slowly I push my tongue into her mouth, tasting the remances of the sake she was drinking early. She lets out a small sigh that had my gut clench. It had been too long since I was with a woman, and all I could do was relish in the feeling of her under my hands. I deepen the kiss as one of my hands reaches to the back of her scalp and intertwines them in her soft hair. My other hand clumsily makes it down her side until it comes to rest on her hip, pulling her tightly into me. She slightly grinds into me as she moans at the friction. I release her lips leaving her panting as I run my lips and tongue against her jaw to her neck. Rolling my hip into her I begin to suck lightly on her pulse point.

"Sui," She sighs as I run my tongue over her skin. The way she said my name breathlessly and in need made me growl as I run my teeth over her skin. I don't know what happened, suddenly her hands are stiffly holding on my shoulders and pushing me back. I furrow my brow as the warmth of her body leaves me.

"Sui, I am not her," She sighs. I feel my brows knitted even lower as I run my tongue over my lip, still tasting her. "I am not her. You were going to say that I sound like her." She whispers. I take a step back. I knew that. I knew she wasn't. I just... I just, I don't know what I was doing. I hear her dryly laugh. "It's ok. We should be going to bed before we do anything we regret." She says before I feel her walk away from me.

****  
"Sui," I wake up to a voice that feels as if it is hammering nails into my skull. My entire head hurts. Not only from a headache, which I am assuming is the hangover but my eye sockets are burning like there is a fire in them. "Sui," I groan as the voice once again assaults me. I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder that gave my body a slight shake. Just from that slight movement, it felt like fireworks of pain light inside my skull. Growling I push the hand off of me and roll over onto my back. "Yeah, you probably have the hangover from hell," She laughs at me. The laugh that I have come to enjoy and actually want to hear, I want nothing to do with at the moment. She needs to be quite and my heart needs to stop beating so hard. "Here drink this," she says as she places a cool glass in my hand. I know that it was going to be useless to fight her on it, so I prop myself up on my elbow and begin to drink. I was expecting water. That is what Noni and Koji ask for when they have nights of hard drinking, so I was surprised to find hat the Liquid that was running into my mouth was some type of sweet juice. The taste makes my stomach clench. I begin to lower the glass only to have her hands placed over mine forcing it back to my lips. "Oh, no, no. You have to drink more. I know it can be a bit to stomach, but I am telling you that it will make you feel so much better," She says softly, well at least I think that she is trying to speak softly. She could be screaming for all I know with the amount of pain that is going on through my head. SO I let her push the cup back to my lips and sip slowly. Once she is satisfied with the amount that I had ingested she lets me drop the glass.

"How are you okay? I ask roughly as I let myself fall back down into my pillow with a sigh. She let out a small laugh and I felt the bed dip as she took a seat next to me.

"One of the many perks of being a medic. I am able to force my liver to work overtime ridding my body of toxins. I also drank at least a liter of water and that juice. That tends to get rid of all hangover symptoms." She said as I feel her hand reach out and touch my temples.

"You couldn't have informed me of that before I went to sleep?" I sighed as I felt her chakra seep into my skin.

"Ah, well you see I was a bit... distracted." I wince a bit at her answer. Then everything comes back to me. It was like I ran into a wall.

"About last night," I say slowly as I began to swallow. What was there really to say? "I just..."

"Don't," She says sternly. I can feel her chakra spike a little before I hear her let out a sigh. "It's not that big of a deal. I mean we were drunk. Honestly, I have made out with most my friends while under the influence. It happens when you drink. Things happen." She lets out a small laugh. "Even with Ino on more accounts than I would like to admit."

I frown as I lean my head into her hand. This wasn't a socket therapy, no she was taking the pain away. Now, as much as I would like to dwell on Sakura and Ino together, I couldn't. I don't know what I should feel about last night. Was I sorry about it? I don't think so. What was I feeling about it? Well, I was confused. I mean I did enjoy her company, I enjoyed her personality and her warmth. But did I want her like that? The kiss was good. I shook my head lightly causing Sakura to click her tongue at me. No, I still wanted Hisako. I know that she is gone, but I know in the deepest part of my soul that she is the one that I will yearn for. Sakura was right, it was just because of the drinking. I was lonely. I had not felt connected to anyone in an intimate way since Hisako. It was natural to feel the need. Perhaps what I need was a one night stand.

"I just want to make sure that it didn't make you uncomfortable or that you wouldn't feel awkward around me." I sigh as she pulls her hand away from me. She pats my shoulder and I feel the bed shift again.

"Don't worry about it. It will only get awkward if you make it that way. Anyways, I need to get to the hospital for a few lab things and to get the base started for your eyes. I figured that you probably were not up to coming with so that is why I got you up to numb the nerves in your sockets. and to make sure that you drank something. Now for the rest of the headache, you are just going to have to let that get better with time. If you drink the juice and some water, along with the pills that I placed on the side table you should be... Well, I was going to say right as rain, but you probably are going to feel like shit, but less like shit than you do now." I can hear her begin to walk away. "I am serious, take those pills then get back to sleep." I nod in her direction and let my hand reach and search for the pills. Once I find them I place them in my mouth and swallow. I can still feel her standing there so I open my mouth to show her that the pills were gone. This was something that I would have to do with Noni, even thought Ialways took what she told me to, the other kids would try and hide them. She snorted as I kept my mouth open. "Okay, I get it. I don't know how long I will be gone for, but of course, make yourself at home. Ino might stop by later in the day if I am not here and you need to go out you can always make her take you." Her feet scrape against the floor as she shifts her weight. "So I am off." Rolling over I grunt and lift my hand. Sleep, sleep sounds like the best thing in the world right now.

So the problem with getting off of my usual sleep schedule is that I have no clue what time it is or how long it is that I have slept for. By the noise coming from the village, I knew that it must be the afternoon or maybe early evening. I lay in the bed contemplating if I should just force myself to sleep until Sakura came back. Then my stomach began to rumble. Perhaps it is best if I get something to eat. Rolling over I move the blanket uncovering the stale smell of alcohol and cigarettes waft out from under it. I grimace as it grows stronger as my hair moves in front of my face. A shower before food seems to be in order.

I stand in the shower and let the water rinse the smell off of me. It really was amazing how a shower could make you feel so much better. Having already soaped and rinsed I just stood under the strong stream of water. It had been a while since I let myself indulge in something like this, and since I was the only one here I was going to take full advantage of it. Until I heard a knock on the door. I curse as I remember that Sakura said that Ino might show up. I debated on whether to just ignore the caller, but then the pounding began to grow louder and more incessant. Sighing I turned the water off and reached for a towel. The person decided to pound on the door once again.

"One second!" I yell as I crack the door of the bathroom open, my skin tightening and prickling as the cold air breezes over my flesh. I quickly dry my body and begin to dress. I had no interest in giving Ino a show. I had a feeling that it would be the only thing that I hear from her if I did. Stumbling through the hallway and to the door I reach out with my chakra and feel a familiar one. It doesn't seem to be Ino though. Frowning I slowly crack the door open.

"Hello?"

"I am sorry, I thought this was Sakura's apartment it seems I have the wron.." A woman's says confusion clear in her tone.

"Oh, no. This is Sakura's apartment. You have the right one, but she isn't here at the moment." I cut her off. The air suddenly feels as if it tenses between us.

"And who are you?" The woman asked sternly. It makes me think of the tone that Noni took with us when we did something that we should not have.

"I am a friend of Sakura's. Sui," I say as I scratch the back of my neck. "Umm, who should I tell her stopped by?"

"Oh , a friend are you?" She snorts, and something about that also seems familiar. I just nod. "Open your eyes boy and look at me when I am talking to you," She demands.

Immediately I reach for the bridge of my nose and realize that I had forgotten to place my blindfold back on.

"I don't think that you want me to open them," I smirk. She snorts again at me. "No, seriously I have no eyes. Unless you want to see what a socket looks like without them, I don't think that you want me to do that." The tension is still rolling off of the woman but I just can't help enjoying teasing the stranger.

"No, I do not think that would be a pleasant sight," she says stiffly and I raise a brow.

"I wouldn't know. I mean not having eyes and all I don't know what it would look like," I smile. She lets out a sigh.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is what it is you are doing in my daughter's apartment." My smile falls. Oh shit. Her mother. Sakura never talked about her parents and the only time that they had been brought up was during her argument with Kakashi. This is probably not the best way to met her.

"Mother," I murmur.

"Yes, mother. As her mother, I am wondering what a wet male is doing in her apartment when she is not home," I grimace at the implications of her tone. Especially after last night. Before I could answer she began to push her way into the apartment.

"We are just friends. She is helping me out with some medical things and I am jut staying with her for a little bit," I close the door and turn to find her chakra in the kitchen.

"You are staying here? Well, don't you think that it is a little improper for a young man like yourself to be staying with a young women," I can hear the doors of the cabinets opening and closing as she seems to be searching for something.

"Nothing improper is happening here," I said slowly as I took a seat at the table. She made an annoyed hum before turning on the water.

"That is exactly what some one would say even if there was something improper happening. I know how men are. Why are you not staying at an inn?" Her question if punctuated by  
the click of the pilot to the stove. I fight frowning. This is probably going to be a fight that I couldn't win no matter what I said.

"There were no room with the festival apparently. She did have a reservation but the inn wasn't in the best condition. I tried to tell her that I could stay but she insisted," I shrugged.

"Well, that is the polite girl that I raised. Though she should have sent you to a male friend. Naruto, or Kakashi. It just isn't right that to have you staying with her," She said as a kettle began to whistle. Traditional. That is what her mother was and I bet she was going to bring up what... "I mean imagine what the village must think. Sakura having a young man in her apartment. There are those that don't know her heart, and may think her a harlot..." Yep, always worried about what other people think. I frown as I point my head down to the table. That was something that I could never grasp. When I was young it would cause a lot of problems with the clan, though I really didn't have to think about being proper since being with Noni and Yosh. Yeah, I had to be polite with the guests but I never had to worry about what the guests or villagers thought of me. It seems I had purposely forgotten about this part of the village.

"Why should she care?" I said as I clenched my jaw. "She is a shinobi, and from what I hear one of the best medics out there. Why should she care about what the village thinks of her personal life?" All movement stopped in the kitchen and the whistling of the kettle grew louder and more high pitched.

"Why should she care? Because of those things can affect her future and what it would look like to those people. Who in thier right mind would want a bride who has been around the block. Tsunade isn't always going to be the Hokage, she needs to think about that," she said slowly as if I was a stupid child. The kettle stopped screaming as she moved it from the stove. "I mean, I don't know where it is you are from, but here there are hierarchies, there are images that need to be kept up. A slip up could ruin ones standing within the social..." She was cut off by the sound of the door open followed by the sound of something hitting the floor and hurried footsteps.

"Hey, Sui-chan! Hope you are feel...in.. Mom?" Sakura's footsteps slowed as she walked to the kitchen.

"Hello, Kitten!" The voice that came out of the woman was completely different than the one that she was talking to me with. This one was high pitched and pleasant. I slowly licked my lips and raised my brow.

"Hello Mother," She said carefully as she came to stand by me. "What brings you here today?"

"Oh, well Kakashi-kun and I had tea, and he was saying that you were on vacation. Well, imagine my surprise that he would know that and your dear old mother didn't have a clue. Sakura really, you couldn't come by?" Sakura sighed as she pulled out the seat next to mine as she flopped down.

"Really, you and Kakashi are like gossiping old women," she growled. "Yes, I am on a type of vacation, but it is because I have a project that I am working on. You know about all those medical things that you aren't interested in? so it really isn't like a real vacation and I was planning on stopping by soon."

"Kitten, you really work too much. There are other things in life than just being a shinobi. I mean you might end.."

"up like Aunt Tora, an old spinster. I am aware of that. If that happens I am okay with that." I felt Sakura's shoulder move as she shrugged. There was a loud sigh in the kitchen. "Can we drop it for right now mother?" She growled.

"Alright, then why don't we talk about your guest," Ah there was the voice that she was using before.

"What about my guest? I would hope that you would have introduced yourself since I wasn't here." Sakura said sweetly. "I mean that would really be rude and unbecoming of a lady." I had to hide my face as I smirked. I don't know what I was thinking that their relationship was like, but it was satisfying to know that she stood up to all the image  
bullshit.

"Of course, I introduced myself... I informed him that I was your mother," She said quickly. Sakura tsked next to me. "That is not the important issue here. Sakura, you are a single woman with a young man staying with you."

"That is all true," Sakura said flippantly.

"People watch, people will talk."

"Let them."

There was a tense silence that filled the air. I began to shift in my chair a little.

"If you could not find him an inn, then you should have had him stay with one of your teammates. Naruto, Kakashi-san, or even that artist."

"His name is Sai, and just because you don't like him doesn't mean he doesn't have a name, Mom."

"Kitten, he does not act properly." There was that word again.

"Properly! Gah! How many times have I said I don't give a shit about being proper mother! I am an adult, and you don't get to tell me how to act anymore! Sui is staying here because he is my friend, and if people think that there is something going on let them! I don't care!"

"Sakura, when you stop acting like a child, only thinking about yourself, and not what your actions reflect on other people, then I will treat you as an adult" She scoffed.

"Mother, should we really be having this conversation in front of a guest," Sakura growled.

"I suppose you are right. I apologize for the show, Sui" She said coldly. " It was indeed not the behavior of a Lady. Well Sakura, my original intention of this visit was to inform you of the dinner we will be having next weekend. Your grandmother is coming to the village and your father thought it would be nice if you could attend. Of course,as always, your team is invited, and if your guest here is still in town there will be enough for Mr... I am sorry but I didn't get your last name." I frown at the amount of times her tone has changed in such a short amount of time. One moment it's like there is venom dripping off of each word, but then one second later it is as sweet as honey.

"Maki," I answer slowly.

"That is a lovely last name," Now it was sweetly venomous.

"Thank you?" I hated that it came out as a question.

"Maki-san you are also welcome. Sakura, could I have a word?" Sakura let out a huff followed by the sound of chair dragging against the floor.

"Sure thing Mother. I will be right back Sui," She says as she places her hand on my shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. I just nod in her direction but remained in my seat. Sakura's steps were slow as the followed her mother. I knew that she didn't want to follow the woman but did because she was her mother. Though, I don't know where she was thinking about having a talk with her. If it was inside the apartment I could hear everything, the walls were thin and it really was tiny.

"Really Sakura?" Came the hiss. Well, it seems that the woman may be playing a Kakashi game: where they acted like they didn't want me to hear, but they did want me to hear. Oh, how I did not miss this type of social structure. Things were so much simpler at the inn. If someone had an issue it was talked about, or yelled about. There was none of this passive aggressive bull shit. "Maki. It is one thing when you gallivant around with.. ninja... I mean that is expected since you are one. But a farmer. You have a farmer in your house without a chaperone. Do you not think of how anything may affect you?" My teeth were grinding as I heard Sakura growling.

"Inn Keeper," I growled as I stood. Both women stilled and the apartment was silent. "Inn Keepers. The Maki are Inn keeper, fishermen, and farmers." I said slowly. It was one thing for the people of this village to think me of nothing, but not of my family. Not based on a fucking name. "There is nothing wrong with the trade, and they are probably the most caring people that you will ever meet. " I growl. "And those farmers are the reason that you have food on your table. Those ninjas are the reason that your village is safe, and those medics are the reason that you are healthy. They all deserve your thanks and gratitude." Another pregnant pause filled the air. My hands clenched and unclenched as I stood, the anger washing over me like rip tides. I was too hungover to deal with this bullshit.

"I think that I should go. It was... Have a good night Maki-san." I didn't say anything just slowly lowered myself back down into my chair, raising my hands to rub my temples as a headache began to creep back.

"I think that would be a wise decision. I will see you later Mother." Sakura said there was something that laced her words and I couldn't pin point what it is. It seemed that there were several layers to her words.

"We will see you then for the family dinner. Good night Kitten." There was a brief amount of movement before the sound of the door opened and closed. I could hear Sakura sigh after a second before there was a rustle of bags then her footsteps walked towards me.

"I apologize about that. My mother isn't... No, that is a lie. She can be a down right horrible person. She is superficial, vein and cares far too much about what people think." She sighs as she sits next to me again and drops what sounds like a bag infront of me. "But she does love me, and in her own fucked up way she thinks that she is helping me. Anyways, I brought dinner. I thought you might be hungry and I know I don't feel like I want to cook, and I doubt you did." Styrofoam against Styrofoam squeaks in front of me. She then places the utensils in my hand.

We sit and eat in silence. I felt like it was tense and awkward and the tempura really was way too salty, but I keep shoving it in because it gave me something to do.

"This is horrible," Sakura grunts. "Really why are we eating this? There is no way you like this is there?" Still chewing on my stringy fried broccoli I shook my headed.

"Just spit it out." She said as she handed me a napkin. I do as I was told, letting the food fall from my mouth.

"Let's go. There is a new barbecue place down the street." She says as she grabs my arm. I just smirk at her. Moving and being manhandled was so much better than the tension that was just between us.

"Sure thing Kitten-kun," I smile at her. She huffs and squeezes my arm jerking me forward.

"Oh shut up."

 **I am so sorry about the wait. My laptop was destroyed by my husband, and my other computer is located in the basement in his man cave.. Which is frightening to go into lol. So hopefully the next chapter will be up much quicker! Thank you once again for all the follows, faves and comments! I don't think that I will be able to reply to all the comments, but I will let you know that I am working some of the suggestion into the story, but this is a slow one. Hell it took us eighteen chapters for a drunken kiss lol.**

 **I hope you all have an awesome day!**


	19. Chapter 19

Sakura didn't talk as she drug me through the streets. I know that I haven't known the girl for long, but I have yet to see her have a mood this bad. Well, when Kakashi attacked me she was pretty pissy, but that only lasted a few minutes at most. At this moment she reminded me of Noni, and if there was one thing I knew about my adoptive mother it was to remain silent when she was in a state. So going off of that I kept my mouth closed.

Sakura huffed as she pulled me to the side of the walk and into a building. My stomach clenched with hunger as the aroma of cooking food filled my nostril. Sakura procured a table and sat down with a sigh. "Well, besides your run in the momster, how was the rest of your day? I hope you weren't feeling too ill." She said as there as was the sound of paper dragging on the table.

"Momster?" I smirk at the name.

"I know. I shouldn't talk about her like that," she sighed. "But, she can be so damn over bearing. She constantly is harping about how what I do, how I look and my attitude are thought of in the village. Or better yet, how they reflect upon her. I mean I don't know what to do with her or how to make her happy… No that's a lie. I know what would make her happy me quitting being a shinobi and accepting the proposal from the Daimyos' son. Who is forty five!" She huffed. I just at there with my fiddling hands on my lap, letting her vent.

"You are a part of the team that saved the world. I think you would have to go completely psycho for anyone in this world to not hold you in esteem. I mean no one is looking down on you. I heard the people talking at the festival," I said softly. "I know it is going to sound harsh, but screw what she thinks. Screw what other people think. You need to follow your heart and do what you think is right."

"You know, you got really lucky with Noni," she almost whispered. I shook my head and smiled softly. There was so much she didn't know or understand about me and she would never. For some reason that bothered me, and I couldn't understand why.

"You forget that Noni adopted me when I was thirteen. I had a completely different life before that. One that revolved around hierarchies, reputation, and images. I can fully understand where you are. If my family was still around that would be me too. Are you from a clan?" It sounded so much like the Uchihas that it wasn't even funny.

"I come from a small clan. One that gets looked over and is thought to be utterly mediocre. Typically no one goes past chunin level. I am the first jounin in nearly forty years or so. What makes it worse is the women, if they were trained to be shinobi, would only work for about five years or so. When they turn eighteen it is expected that they quit find a husband and become wives and mothers. Honestly that is what I thought that I wanted also. I was completely ready to do that. But I got left behind, as always," she sighed. My brows knit as I listened to her talk. I can't but help wonder who it is that left her behind. In the back of my mind I keep going back to Sasuke, he seemed to be the one that left everyone behind. That, and I also heard the constant ribbing her comrades were giving her over the last Uchiha. I shouldn't ask, but I couldn't stop myself

"Who left you behind?" I asked softly. She let out a sigh and I think she put the menu down.

"Ah, well, you are going to hear about it sometime since you are spending so much time with my friends and I guarantee that my mother will bring it up…" She tapped her finger on he table. "Okay, I have.. or had. I am not sure… anyways this thing with one of my teammates. He's the one that you haven't met yet. Anyways I had this notion that we would end up together after the war, but he only stayed for a little while. He then left on his journey for atonement. I.. I wanted to go with but he wouldn't let me. Said he had to do it on his own and I didn't play a role in his sins. When he left, I didn't know what I should do. Do I wait for him or not? It's been two years and I still don't know what to do." I can hear the frown in her words. This was indeed about Sasuke.

"Do you love him?" I asked carefully. I should really be changing the subject, it wasn't my place to ask and I don't know why I wanted her to answer.

"I don't know. If you asked me two years ago I would have said yes. But as more time passes and I haven't heard from him.. I mean I know that there is some type of love, it's hard to explain," she said softly. Before I was able to respond a cheerful waitress came up asking what we would like.

"We'll take the B6 with a pot of warm sake," Sakura ordered. I raised my brow. I never had some one order for me and from what I knew it was typically the man that did it.

"Do you have more guests coming? That is a platter for six, you know," the scratching on her paper pad slowed as she questioned.

"No, no more guests. Yes I am awake of the serving size," she growled. "I am starving and my chakra is almost depleted. So, if it is okay with you I would like to order the B6." Ah, this is what Yosh would refer to as hangry. When Noni would get like this he would just stay quite and drop some food in front of her and run if necessary. Taking a note from him I just stayed quite through the order.

"Oh, no. I was just making sure you were aware.. of course you can order anything you wish Haruno-san. I'll be off to place the order and to bring you your sake," the waitress said sheepishly before scampering off. I tried to reign it in but I couldn't help but smile.

"And what do you think is so funny?" she growled at me.

"You get moody when you are hungry Kitten-Kun," I smile at her.

"What happened to Sakura-kun or even Rhino-kun?" She bit. I just ignored her.

"So what has your chakra levels so low?" I ask as I leak out mine and probe her. The smile I had on my face fell as I noticed she was indeed incredibly low. How had I not noticed before? Was it because of the hangover?

"I had some issues in the lab. Your cells didn't want to bind with the base cells that I was using for some reason. I had to do it nearly twenty times, but not to worry I finally got it. As we wait for food the cells should be splitting.." Gone was any hostility as she chirped happily about the going on in her lab.

"Well, that's good. Though you shouldn't push yourself so hard not on my behalf," I say as I frown a little bit. She shouldn't hurt herself over me. She just snorts as the waitress drops off the sake.

"I know my limits, so don't you worry about that," She says as she moved the cups around the table. "If the cells didn't bond on my last attempt I was going to try again tomorrow. But this is really exciting, based on the rate of growth already, they should be good for implantation in as soon as three weeks!" I hear her slide a cup over to my side of the table. I reach out and feel for it, then bring it to my lips. Holy shit. I could have eyes that soon. I dumbly sip the sake as I let my mind wonder of that information. "I hope it's okay that I ordered. I figured it worked since it was a combo platter. There's beef, chicken, squid, shrimp and an assortment of vegetables," she says as she places her cup down.

"Works for me," I shrugged. Food was now the last thing I had on my mind.

"I just don't get how you do it?" Sakura laughed as we walked from the restaurant. "Seriously, I burn instant ramen when I am watching it the whole time!" she lets out a dramatic sigh as she loops her arm through mine. I just shake my head as she leans into me.

"Well, I have been in the kitchen with Yosh almost every day since I as thirteen. Most of it comes down to timing. I had burnt a lot of things also, but as I learned the proper timing I also learned the subtlety of how it was cooking. The sound and smell meat makes as it cooked, the smell of the herbs. I utilize all my remaining senses," I smile as she huffs. "If you don't like cooking, why would you come to a place that you grill your own foods?"

"Just because I can't doesn't mean that I don't like to try. I am always up for a challenge," she said as she leaned in to me. "Can't be good at everything can I?" She laughed. She then became quite. "Do you think you could teach me?" she asked softly. I raised my brow as I turned my head in her direction and nodded. The sudden meekness of her voice surprised me.

"Sure I would love to teach you to cook Kitten-Kun."

We fell into a pretty normal routine after a couple days. I woke earlier then her usually so I would make breakfast and the strongest coffee known to mankind, then she would go to her lab, I usually came with since I had nothing to do, we would grab lunch out, train a bit than come back to her place. I would then cook dinner aside her, have socket therapy, then zone with the TV or a visitor would show up (Each time I would thank the spirits it wasn't her mother or Kakashi) then head to bed. It was nice knowing what was going to happen and it was also really nice that the pain of the socket therapy was diminishing.

The only deviation from the routine came when we gathered for dinner at Narutos'. He explained that he was planning on asking the shy girl to marry him. That was a bitter sweet event for me. His team gave him ideas on how to propose and my mind would wander back to the night I asked Hisako for her hand. That time I decided to stay away from the liquor, not wanting to start anything on an important day for the boy.

I was also becoming more comfortable in navigating the village and was almost certain that I could find my way around on my own. Well, at least to the shopping district, training fields and hospital. Which meant that if I didn't go with Sakura to her lab I could take a walk. Which was a good thing. I mean it isn't that I didn't enjoy being around her, it's just that I felt like she felt that she had to entertain me while I was there and her idea of entertainment was to talk about all the stuff she had going on. Which I understood about two percent of what she said. After being there for a handful of days there was only so much I could take. So I decided that I would have a go at the village alone.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" she asked as she ate breakfast. I just leaned back in my chair as I nursed the tar like cup of coffee.

"I am fine staying here. You probably need a day were I am not getting in your way," I sighed.

"You don't get in the way," she said as placed her utensils down with a clank against the plate.

"I do. I mean how many times do you have to explain what it is that you are doing. Not to mention those little dishes I knocked over," I say as I tilt my head and raise my brow.

"Petri dish," she clarified. I just nodded my head.

"Yeah and you said that you were growing stuff in there for five weeks!"

"Cultivating," she sighed. I just raised my brows as I took another sip of coffee. "Ok, I get what you are saying but really it doesn't bother me having to repeat or explain things. I thought you would be interested in how your eyes are grown."

"I am. I know you get frustrated with me. I mean you kinda growl at me sometimes too," I smirk as I shrug. I know I can be annoying so it's not like I take it personally.

"I do not growl!" she snorted.

"Oh, Kitten-kun, you do growl and make all types of animalistic noises," I smirk as she scoffs at me. "Anyways, we are running low on food. I figured I'll go to the market while your out." Well, that felt a bit weird. Saying that we were almost out of food, I mean yeah I as living with her for the moment..

"That we are," she said slowly. I wonder if she is feeling as off by saying we also. "Are you sure you'll be ok? I mean going out to the market alone?" She asked as she stood from the table and brought her dishes to the sink. I hear the water being drawn as she prepared to wash them.

"You know I am a big boy. I think I can handle being alone in the village. If I do get lost I know your address so I can ask some one. Plus if it comes down to it I know where the hospital is and I can always met you there," I say as I gather my dishes and bring them over to her. She takes them from my hand and I stand there for a few moments waiting for her reply. She lets out a loud sigh.

"I know you are a big boy. I just want to make sure you are okay. I mean Konoha is a big place…" she says as she places a towel in my hand followed by a dish.

"I know, but like I said I know the basics around here. And I thought it was you that says that humans are amazing at adapting," I dry the dish then feel for the cabinet to put it away.

"That they are," she says softly.

Twenty or so minutes later she leaves, of course she fussed a little, but eventually she found her way out the door. I just stand for a moment relishing the fact that I am finally alone and let the silence wash over me. After I few momets I find my way to the shower and begin to get ready to head out.

Sakura would probably be gone for five to six hours, now I know that shopping won't take that long so I find myself wandering towards the training fields. It is still one of the only places that I felt calm in. Maybe it was the lack of vibrations, well that was when team seven wasn't practicing, or maybe because the air reminded me of the inn. I try not to focus so much on the why's but just enjoy the calming feeling.

So I was a bit surprised to find a mass of angry.. no annoyed chakra coming from one of the far fields. My curiosity piqued I silently made my way onto the field taking up to the branches as I approached. I was no longer a fan of taking to the trees. I much rather keep my feet planted on the ground, were it was far more stable. Though sometimes the they did prove to have a better

"Oi, you big monkey, it's time you made your contract with me!" A boys voice yelled. He didn't sound to be a young child, must be a teenager. I raised my brow. Contract? Ah, the child is attempting a summon.

"You are not ready boy, and you may never be ready," a deep voice snarled. The hairs on my arm began to rise as I realized that I was familiar with this summon.

"Don't give me that. You and your kin have been aligned with my family for generations. Now I am a ninja and I demand that you let me sign the contract!" The boy yelled.

"Konohamaru," the summon sighed. "It takes more than just a title to earn a summoning contract. If your grandfather was still alive, than he would have inputs into such a decision. However, it is me who must decide alone. I do not believe you are ready young Sarutobi." Shit. That's how I knew this summon, it was the Thirds. Enma the monkey King. I had been around him a few times when the Third summoned him in his office. Though I got to give it to the kid, being able to summon him was a feat.

"Yeah, you are right. The old man isn't here but he left his summoning information to me. He wanted me to be aligned with you!" Konohamaru yelled slightly sobbing at the tail end of his sentence. I began to feel awkward, I should not be intruding on this moment. "I just want to make him proud," the boy growled out a sob. Deciding it was time to leave I slowly began to retreat.

"Young one, I know for certain that my old friend is watching you with pride in his eyes, even that surly uncle of yours too. I, personally, will be your summon when the time is right. But you must work on your skill first. You have not even noticed the chakra of the eaves dropper." I still as I catch the last part. Of course the monkey King would feel my chakra. While I had concealed I didn't do it fully. Cursing under my breath I slowly turn in their direction.

"What eaves dropper?" Kohonamaru asked.

"Come out little bird," Enma called. I stood rocking on the balls of my feet. What options did I have? I could run, but if there was one thing that I knew about the king of the monkeys, is that he is loyal whole hearted to Konoha. Running may make him think me a spy and I honestly don't know how a fight word end against him. Pursing my lips I slowly let myself fall from the branch and hesitantly walk forward. "If you are ANBU, then their skill level have certainly fallen since the Third reign has ended," Enma scoffs. I just frown as I enter the clearing. Why didn't I completely conceal my chakra?

"You are familiar boy," Enma's deep voice rings through the clearing. I clear my throat and take a few steps forward.

"I have been told that I have one of those faces," I smirk while rubbing my chin. There is a snort at my reply.

"No that isn't it. Your kind all looks the same to me," he says slowly. I force my muscles to relax as I shrug. "What is it you were doing out here?"

"I was just taking a walk when I felt a powerful chakra," I answer honestly.

"Wait!" The boy suddenly yells. "I think I know who you are. You're the guy that the boss told me about!" He says excitingly. I turn my hear in the direction of the kid and raise my brow.

"The boss?"

"Yeah, Naruto-sama! Enma this guy is blind," he yells. Boss? Naruto-sama?

"I can see that," the monkey King replies.

"No you don't understand! He said that he is an awesome fighter! Sai-san and Sakura-nee-chan couldn't take him! Oh, Naruto said he even went against thirty of his shadow clones." I try not to fidget under the awe in his voice. "You know the boss is still waiting for a rematch!"

"A blind shinobi," Enma says slowly. "Where is your forehead protector? What village or country are you aligned with?" He asks skeptically.

"Ummmm , no." I take a deep breath and regulate my heart beat. If Enma didn't recognize me then I wasn't going to tell the truth. The bullshit about animals though is that they tended to have built in like detector's. Luckily I had no eyes so he wouldn't see any fluctuations with my pupils. "Not a shinobi, just here for a medical procedure. And I am really sorry about dropping in."

"I see," the monkey says. "interesting."

"Aww man if you have time can you spar against me! I want to see how you fight," Konohamru pleads. Before I know it I nodded my head to him. Actually I just wanted to leave the area. I can feel his kinda summon's gaze burning holes in me. "Really? Ohh, I can't wait to tell my teammates! What's your name again?"

"Names Sui.. and no problem kid," I lazily smile to him. "Well I have to be off to the market, and once again I am sorry I disturbed you. Ummm you can catch me at Sakura's apartment."

"Awesome! I'll catch up with you later Sui!" The boy yells. I smile and wave before I turn around and high tail it to the market.

Shopping went off with out a hitch. Over the past few days Sakura had taken me to her many shopping haunts so the keepers already knew who I was and were eager to help Sakura-chan/Hime/sama's guest. That part of her being well known was a bonus for me.

Lazily I make my way back to her apartment, once I was there I figures we have a go at tempura. So I begin to prep the assorted vegetables. I was almost done when she came walking in.

"Oh, you started without me?" she pouted as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Ah, well just the vegetable prep. So nothing exciting. I hadn't even started the batter or oil," I say as I finish cutting the lotus root. "Although I did leave the shelling and cleaning of the prongs to you," I made my way to the refrigerator and pull out the bowl of shrimp.

"Great, because I don't deal with enough deification at work," she grumbles as she took the bowl from me.

"You're technically on vacation, so you shouldn't have had to deal with anyone's excrements in a while," I say as I begin to gather the ingredients for the batter.

"Yeah , yeah," she says flippantly as she takes a seat at her table and began to clean the protein.

Her cooking was getting a little better. At least I think it was. Eating the outcome of the food though, was the easiest part. The most difficult was being in the kitchen with her. For being a shinobi and having graceful hands in the medical field didn't transfer over to cooking. It really amazed me how truly clumsy she was. I mean, luckily all there was, was a few minor burns from the oil, but Sakura plus a kitchen could seriously equate danger.

"Did I tell you tempura is one of my favorites?" She asked as we settled down at her table.

"Nope, I as just in the mood for something unhealthy," I said as I pick up my chop sticks.

"This is so good," it sounded as if her mouth was full as she spoke.

"Glad you like it," I smile before starting on my own plate.

Screaming. Once again I am awoken to screaming. It happens more mornings the not and I am starting to become concerned. Yes PTSD is common with shinobi and so are nightmares, but the intensity of what is haunting her is really scary.

A usual I make my way into her room and begin to try and wake her up. She flails under me and begins to throw punches. I evade her fists before I pin her down. She screams and cries under me, babbling some incoherent words. Finally after a few minutes she stills, but is still gasping for breath.

"Are you here with me?" I ask softly as I begin to loosen the grip I have on her wrists.

"Yeah," she pants out between breaths. "I am sorry. You really don't have to wake me up when I am having a nightmare," she says as she shifts under me. I let go of her and she pulls herself away.

"I don't mind it. I don't think that I could just let you stay in a dream that is causing you to scream," my voice is hoarse from just waking.

"I am still sorry. It's not something that some one that I just met should be subjected to," she said softly.

"You didn't seem to have this problem at the inn," I said without thinking. It's true I never heard her scream once, and didn't hear anyone else on the island bring it up.

"Ah, I placed seals in my room. Perhaps I need to do that in my apartment so I don't bother you," she shifted her weight as I frowned at her.

"You shouldn't have to place seals in your own home, not those kind," I shake my head. "Actually you shouldn't be waking up screaming almost every morning. Maybe you should see someone about it," I say slowly. I know that thirteen years ago, a shinobi seeking out therapy was pretty taboo.

"No I'll be fine once those damn birds migrate," she said sternly. My frown deepened as she said that. So it did have to do with the birds.

"You shouldn't have to wait for birds to migrate to get some decent sleep," I reply in a tone just as stern. She just huffs.

"What do you know about it? Sure, I have fucked up dreams, but they are just that dreams. I have been through war, through the horrors of triage, and made to think that his hand went through…. You know what it's none of your business. I wouldn't expect you to understand," she jerks off of the bed. I should bite my tongue, but I was getting angry. I wouldn't understand the horrors. I was a child when I was sent to war, I had seen the worst mankind had to offer while in ANBU. I had lost my eyes and my whole clan, and had the blood of many child rapists on my hands. I fought countless numbers of those fucked up clay fuckers and lost over half of my new family, but of course there is no way I would understand. I try to take a deep breath and remind myself that she doesn't know that.

"Oh, yes because shinobi are the only ones that know the horrors of this world," I hiss at her. So much for that calming breath. "I am well aware of the darkness that hides in the shadows and horrible sights that will never fade from my mind. But what you are going through isn't good Sakura. You need to see someone and not just wait for the fucking birds to disappear," I try and control my tone but I am failing amazingly at it. I know it can out much more hostile then I intended.

"That's rich coming from a inn keeper," she snarls. That left me absolutely dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say to that. It was a low blow and one I didn't think she would use.

"You don't really even know me," I said slowly. As I turned my head to the ground. There was a tense stillness that filled the air.

"Oh, gods I am sorry," she sighed. "I don't even know why I am being such a bitch. I didn't mean what I said," her clothing rustles as she fidgets. "Seriously, it was stupid that I lashed out." I don't even turn my head in her direction. The anger hasn't ebbed away and I don't trust my tongue. "I think I m just going to head to the hospital. You'll be okay here?" she asks softly.

"I'll be fine," I say between clenched teeth.

In a matter of minutes she is dressed and out of the apartment. I turn on the radio as I throw myself onto the couch. The argument was stupid but I just couldn't seem to let it go. It was probably because of the way she said her remarks, as if I was under her. Even though I had only been around her for only two weeks I had assumed that she wouldn't ever make me feel that way. In short my feelings were hurt. Gods, why was it even bothering me so much?

As I lay there stewing I felt a chakra approaching the door. Oh this is fucking great. Can my day get any better? I sit waiting for a knock. It never comes though, instead I hear the window slide open.

"Sakura's not here," I grumble as I feel Kakashi make his way into the apartment. There was a brief silence, if I couldn't feel his chakra I would think that no one was there.

"Is she going to be back soon?" Kakashi asks in his usual lazy tone. I just sigh as I turn my head in his direction.

"She is at the hospital, so no. I don't think she will be back soon," I say flatly as I raise my brows. Humming he walks further into the apartment.

"She forgot it was Thursday," he murmurs. The I realize what he was saying. Her whole fucking team was going to be here to eat.

"Shit, that means everyone is coming here?" I ask as I run my hand roughly over my face. He just hums at me. I pull myself to a seating position on the couch. I might as well cook. Maybe it will keep my mind off of being pissed off. "Alright, what do you want to eat?" I sigh as I stand and walk towards the kitchen.

"Your going to make her team breakfast when she isn't here?" Kakashi asks slowly.

"Why not?" I just shrug. Honestly I am a little creeped out by the fact that he is acting civil right now. There was no one to put on a show for and he could just let his distain out. Instead of threats he just takes a seat at the kitchen. Maybe he is trying to play some type of mind game. I really didn't care at the moment , as long as he isn't attacking me I would let it go.

As the rest of the team arrived I was just finishing breakfast. They all asked about Sakura's where about and accepted the hospital as an answer. Unfortunately cooking didn't help ease my sour mood. I didn't pay attention to the talk around me, my mind just replaying the argument. I was angry and felt guilty about what had happened.

"Hey you know what I heard? That Teme has been seen in fire country," Naruto says through a mouth full of food. I just lean back and sip my coffee, not really interested in the food or conversation. I hear Kakashi sigh as he stood from the table and places his dish in the sink.

"Don't get your hopes up Naruto. The last two times Sasuke was near he didn't stop by." I had to concentrate to not spit my drink back in the cup. Teme was Sasuke? He was near. Why wouldn't he come home?

"I know," Naruto sighs dejectedly. "You never know he might show up! Hell, he might even be here for the wedding!" He yelled instantly back to his sunny disposition. "Anyways who is up for some training?" there were grunts from around the table as Naruto stood and cleared his plate. The men stood and started towards the door. "Oi, you coming Sui?" Naruto asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I shake my head and sigh.

"I don't know if I am in the mood," I say flatly.

"Sure you are. Sparing makes everything better. It'll help burn away that bad mood you are in," he laughed. "Because even to a numb skull like me, it is clear you are in a bad mood. Anyways, let's get going," he said as he tugged at my shoulder. This isn't something that I could win. So I give into his demand and trail after him. "Oh, and Sui, it was really awesome that you cooked breakfast for us even if Sakura-chan wasn't here! So thanks!"

"No problem," I say as I smile

We make it to the training fields and it isn't a big surprise that Naruto wanted to spar against me. Since we didn't have a proper winner the last time.

"Okay man, now you just have to let out what's bothering you. I know that the shinobi code say no emotion and all that shit but screw it. It's not like this is a real fight, right?" Naruto says as we walk to the field. I just nod. There have only been a few times when I fought with strong emotions. The last spar I had with Kakashi I was still in control. The last time I let my emotions fuel a fight, was with those plant things? Though I think that was more desperation. Before that was at Yasha's compound. I fully let rage and anger take control there.

I shake out my arms and think back to the argument, yeah it wasn't as extreme a case, but I was still angry about it. So that is what I thought of when Naruto sent his first wave of clones at me. My fighting was erratic and much boulder then I would display normally. Instead of trying to think ahead all I was interested in was destroying the clones. I ran head first in.

He kept on sending wave after wave. The original would come in each time, but I just wanted to hear the satisfying pop of the clones disappearing. Though I did fight against him also. I may have been having a small temper tantrum but I didn't want to neglect Naruto of his fight.

So we fought. I don't known for how long, but I wasn't tiring an neither was he.

"Aww shit. Hold up," Naruto said as I smashed my knee into the face of one of his clones. At that point if it wasn't the original I as becoming ruthless. "Damn it, I got a summon to the Hokage tower," he whined. I just stood there panting. "Man we are never going to be able to finish a spar. Sorry to cut it short."

"It's okay," I said as I wiped my forehead. "I get it duty calls," I begin to pull of the blind fold. It is soaked in sweat and is irritating my lids, which seemed to be a side effect if therapy. They hadn't been this sensitive since right after I lost my eyes.

"Yeah true. I guess another time then?" Naruto asks I just nod as I rub my lids. Grateful Sakura wasn't around to scold me about it. Naruto yells a farewell and runs off.

"A bit of a different style from last week," Kakashi drawled. Too consumed in my anger I actually forgot the rest of the team was there I grunt as I place my blind fold in my pocket. Was the asshole going to rush me like last time? "You good for the day or you want to go another round?" I still at the question. What was he up to? "Uneven teams. Had to sit out, but if you would rather go home," no I don't think I want to go back to Sakura's, but did I really want to take my chances with sparky the bi polar?

"Sure," I said slowly. We started the spar and it was obvious that both of our movements were cautious and measured. I don't know what he was thinking but I was waiting for him to… I don't know, do something.

"I understand how you got the name of the demon slayer now," he chuckles as he tries to land a kick. I jump back and raise a brow. "You are still holding back. Even with Naruto just now," he drawls. I don't reply. I don't get what it is he is getting at. Instead I lung forward and land a blow on his shoulders. There is a pop then the thunk of something hitting the ground. Substitution it seemed.

"So what had you so riled up anyways?" he appears behind me but I dodge his blow. I frown as I kick back and throw a few kunai. He was digging or baiting me. I think. I may prefer the whole asshole act better at least I got what was going on. "You having trouble in paradise?" his tone was light as he sent a whole array of projectiles my way. I flicker to the other side of the training field and curse under my breath after. I should have just taken a weapon to the body.

"What is with you?" I yell to him. I take a quick read of the field. He hadn't moves from his spot and there were no clones of him around. "Seriously? You try to kill me last week and now you are chatty! I don't get you man!" I flicker in front of him, because fuck I already did it once, it doesn't really matter if he sees it again. Grabbing onto his shoulders I raise my knee to his stomach. Now I was pissed. It wasn't rational, but his change in attitude set me off. Maybe that is just what he wanted. Maybe I just fell for it hook line and sinker.

He may have been dazed for a second but quickly regains his composure. Soon there was a flurry of activity between us. He was right I do hold back. The only time that I don't is when it is a life or death situation. I wasn't going to go all out now, but I as fine with raising the bar.

I can feel his chakra surge as he prepared a jutsu. The moisture in the air was quickly becoming thick, a water jutsu. I quickly made my own hand seals and right as he released a water dragon I sent out a fire ball that made it nothing but steam. I quickly felt him appear behind me and I threw a shurikan in his direction.

The spar quickly evolved into a jutsu battle. I had to give it to him, he could use most elements. While I was restricted to fire and earth. Though none of his hit me, since I would just flicker out of the way. If it wasn't Kakashi I was fighting this may have been fun.

"My, my, does Sakura-chan know you have a temper?" he asked as he came in for a physical attack. I ground my teeth remembering what got me so angry in the first place. As I was distracted he landed a blow on my jaw that knocked me to the ground.

I lay there as I realized, I am fucking exhausted. If sparky was going to kill me he might as well do it now. But nothing happens.

"What is wrong with her?" I say before I can stop myself. I feel Kakashi's chakra completely still.

"Pardon?" he says slowly. I frown and turn my head to him.

"Sakura," I spit her name out. I don't know why I am saying anything.. no that's not right. I am saying something because in the short time I have been back he is the one that has shown concern for her. I sigh and turn my head back to the sky.

"What's wrong with Sakura?" again he speaks slowly.

"I don't know why I am saying anything to you about it, but she wakes up screaming." I purse my lips. Great now I am a tattle tale.

"Hmmm, well being a shinobi can be difficult," I scoff at the reply.

"Almost every single fucking morning. Says she should be fine once the birds migrate, whatever the hell that means," I say as I sit up. There was a brief pause but this one for whatever reason isn't the usual tension filled one.

"I see…" Was his only response. I frown and stand.

"I don't even know why I am telling you this," I shake my head. "Hell, I thought you were going to try and kill me again today. Just forget about it man," I say as I begin to walk away.

"I am not going to kill you. That is unless you give me a reason to. I don't trust you. I still think you are hiding something, which you confirmed with that little show today," he said as he began to follow me. "If I of kill you it would upset Sakura greatly, and I don't need my medic angry at me." I just grunt a reply. "She is still having nightmares then," he said quietly.

"More like night terrors," I huff.

Today had not been a pleasant day and I just want it to be over with. From Sakura yelling to that.. thing with Kakashi. It was all just confusing. I sigh as I open Sakura's apartment and was a bit surprised that she wasn't there. I had wandered around the village for a few hours after training because I didn't want to face her. Well turns out I didn't have to worry about it.

I wander in the kitchen and make something quick and force myself to eat it. The girls had always said eating helped comfort them and I could never understand it. It was always difficult to eat when I was upset.

After I finished eating and doing the dishes from breakfast and dinner I once again turned on the radio and lied down on the couch. There was nothing left for me to do then wait.

Apparently I had fallen asleep at some point because I awoke to Sakura cursing as she opened the door. Groggily I sat up and turned in her direction.

"Shit. Shit. Oh, hey," she said as she dropped something on the floor.

"Hey," I croaked before clearing my throat.

"Oh, I am sorry I didn't mean to wake you," I could hear her walking into the living room. There was the click if the light switch before she sat next to me on the couch.

"Don't worry about it," I said as I rubbed my chin. She sighed as she sank further back.

"Listen, about this morning. It was totally uncalled for. I mean I know it is an issue, but I as hoping that it would go away," she sighed. "In no way should I have spoken to you like that, and you are right, even though it feels like I have known you for a long time, I don't know much about you. It is unfair of me to make assumptions. I feel horrible about it," she said softly. I purse my lips. I realize that most of what she said to me was brash and in the heat of the moment, but I had come to the conclusion that what really bothered me was how upset it made me feel.

"It's fine we can forget about it," I say as I lean back. "but, Sakura, you really should see if there is something that can help."

"I know," she sighs. "Its just complicated." I curtly nod at her.

"Can I ask you something?" I as I roll my head in her direction. She hums and I take that as a yes. "Why birds? Did some one use a whole flock of sparrow summon's against you?" She laughs and it is a genuine one. I didn't mean to be humorous but I seriously couldn't figure that out.

"No, no sparrow summons. Do those actually exist?" I just shrug. Like she could talk I know her summon contract is with slugs. "You know Kakashi's chidori?" She asked slowly. I nod. Then it hits me the meaning of the it's name literally means one thousand birds. My stomach begins to clench.

"You didn't get caught by Kakashi's lightening?" I ask as I attempt to keep the venom from my voice. Well that would be one good reason the man hovers over her.

"No, it wasn't Kakashi and it wasn't even a real chidori," she says quickly. I frown not quite following her meaning."l… you see it was my… my other teammate. After the war he was going to do something stupid. Something that could have killed him and someone else. I, um, tried to stop him.. and that is when he cast a genjutsu on me. He made it seem like he attacked me with his lightening. That he ran me straight through the chest with it." I felt my mouth open at her words. That whole situation was beyond fucked up. I mean using a nasty genjutsu like that on an enemy or while training was one thing, but to use it on some one that cared for you. What did you do Sasuke?

"And you might still love him?" I blurted out. I could feel her stiffen next to me. "I am sorry, it's just so messed up." I was still shocked at that piece of news.

"Let's drop it," she said softly. I nod to her. No wonder she has fucked up dreams. A man, no this was the move of a boy, who she thought she loved made her think that he was killing her. I shake my head to try and think of something else.

"So what made you so late? Did you have issues in the lab?" I know that is a topic that she does enjoy talking about.

"Oh no, none at all. As a matter of fact I am ahead of schedule. Everything is developing beautifully." I smile as I hear the grin in her voice. "What had me out late was I got a summon from Tsunade. Unfortunately I have been requested for a mission." She was clearly annoyed by it.

"I thought you were on vacation."

"I am, but when the Daimyos' son requests you to be his escort, you have to drop what ever it is you're doing," she growled.

"This isn't the forty year old?" I ask slowly.

"The one and only." I frown. It's not uncommon for people that are in a higher cast to be intrigued with shinobi. Hell, some went as far to use missions as their personal dating service. There is a whole thrill of "slumming" it that goes on. Even though I was young when I worked for the village I remember receiving propositions. Then again this was a little different. The man, a man who probably had received everything he had ever desired, was asking for Sakura even, though she had denied his request. The thought made me feel uneasy.

"So yeah, I have to leave on a mission in four days. So I had to make sure that Tsunade or Shizune could keep track of the progress in the lab. Then I had to stop by Ino's to see if she could keep up with your therapy. Luckily she can. I should only be gone three, or a max of five days. I am sorry that I have to go," she says as she grabs my hand. I just smile trying to hide the unease I feel about her mission.

"I'll be fine. No need to worry about me," I say as I lightly squeeze her hand.

"Well, it's late and we still need to do your therapy," she tugged at my arm forcing me to lay down with my head in her lap. Her fingers quickly making their way to my temples. She clicks her tongue as her chakra seeps into my skin. "You have been rubbing your lids haven't you?" she chides. I just sigh.


	20. Chapter 20

For the past three days Sakura had been rushing around like a child who was given too much candy. The only time she would still was when she would finally pass out. She had been running to the hospital to check on the progress of my eyes, hunting down Ino so she could watch my eye therapy, and prepared me for being on my own for a few days. I would find myself huffing at her constant nagging and fussing. Multiple times I had to remind her that I as in fact a grown man, and that I as more than capable of handling myself. She would laugh and say I was right, but in less then ten minutes she was back to her ways.

To be honest, while at first her being worried about me made me shake my head, the fact is that I _had_ never lived alone. Which actually shocked me. Here I was a man of twenty six and I had always lived with people. Now while that wasn't abnormal, it was not normal either. Hell, at my current age if I as still with the clan I would have been married off and starting on my second or third child. I shook my head, while Hisako was always saying I would one day give her cute babies, those days always seemed far off.

So here I am sitting on Sakura's couch listening to her go over the watering schedule for the plants for a fifth time, even though she said that Ino would take care of it, realizing that I had not really entered the independent adult stage of my life. Why had I not come to this realization before? Was I capable? Hell yeah I was. I just never felt the need to venture off, which isn't that like a right of passage or something?

"Alright we should be heading over to my folks. I have to stop by the bakery and get some sweets that I claimed I made," Sakura said as she moved something around. I turned my head in her direction as I tried to stop thinking if I was developmentally behind.

"You know I could have made something," I offer as I stood from the couch. She laughed and I heard her walk to me.

"Oh, no. I have been doing this for years. If I come with something different my mother might figure out. Though, I am pretty sure that everyone else knows I just buy them . Also I need to do my part to support local businesses," she says as she begins to straighten the shirt I was wearing, which she borrowed from Yamato. Apparently I didn't own any casual dress ware, not that I ever really needed any. It also seemed that Yamato didn't dress up often either as his shirt was stiff and scratchy. At least it wasn't a formal kimono, I thought as I swatted her hands away.

"Oh, I think that you more than support all the local restaurants around here," I smiled as I ran my hand through my hair. Every time we had walked through the restaurant district there would be restaurant owners waving her down asking why she hadn't been in for visit in a few weeks. She just huffed.

"I am a very busy person, you know. Sometimes it's hard to find the time to cook. Or I am just too tired. Though you may be spoiling me with all the meals you make," she laughed as she punched me in the arm. Even without chakra to enhance it the girl packed a lot in those small fists of hers.

We walked to the other side of the village. Sakura kept going over lists of things that needed to be done, and it made me wonder just how many missions she went through. If it was a lot she had to be exhausted before she even left.

"You need to relax Kitten-kun. Everything will be fine, you're only going to be gone for a few days," I sighed as I leaned my shoulder into her. "I mean it's not like the whole village is on your shoulders."

"I know, but I never had to leave when I had a time sensitive medical procedure or a guest staying with me," she sighed back. "I wish that man wasn't so incessant on having me there," she squeezed her hand on the arm she had hers laced through. I grunted in agreement. The whole mission didn't sit well with me. I didn't know if times had changed, but it was very possible the man would be trying to buy her off. Either through the Hokage or her parents. The one thing she had going for her was that she was Tsunade's apprentice, and she didn't seem to be a woman who would trade people for cash, hopefully. "Alright we are almost there. Just so you know my family is a bit overbearing. Well, you met my mother, they aren't all like her but each is special in their own way," she said nervously. I just put my hand over hers.

"No problem Sakura-kun. I am use to overbearing. I'll be able to handle it," I smiled to her. I could hear a sigh of relief as her muscles relaxed. Really she didn't have anything to worry about, I could deal with whatever her family had to dish out. I had dealt with worse. At least I know they wouldn't be trying to pry my eyes out of my head. I could play their games.

Sakura let out a long breath and shook her muscles loose as she opened the door to the home. The smell, well, it was different to say the least. The way that Sakura's mother had acted I expected, well something flowery or perhaps an artificial air freshener smell. What I breathed in couldn't be farther from that. It was earthy, there was sandle wood and maybe patchouli. It basically smelled of an apothecary shop. It wasn't a bad smell, just not one I would have thought of for here. Though, the earthy smell did remind me a bit of Sakura.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled. I jumped as he quickly approached and gathered her into a hug. "You are late. You know it is a little odd to be at your parents house before you?" He whispered loudly. I heard her sigh as she placed her arm through mine again.

"I know I'm sorry. I am getting prepped for that mission. Is everyone already here?" she began to play with the sleeves of my shirt which made me cock my brow. I don't know if she was doing it intentionally or if she was doing it because she was nervous to be here. The thought made me inwardly cringed a bit. Family shouldn't make you nervous. Not for a simple dinner.. perhaps if you blew something up or started a fire I could see. Not that I had any experience with situations like that. Well, not _much_ that is.

"Oh yea, Baa-sama said that you had an escort mission with the poodle looking guy. Do you know he requested you, but also requested that we not come with? I mean, I think that's kinda creepy," he attempted to whisper the last part but failed. That time I did frown at the information. He was planning something, I guarantee it. The more I learn about the mission the less I like it. "Any ways, all of us are here. Even Kakashi beat you, but than again he was only like five minutes late. Your dad took us into den, I just came out to take a whiz," he laughed. At this moment I don't understand what she had to be worried about with me.

"Geeze Naruto!" I heard the sound of flesh on flesh.

"Ow, whatcha do that for Sakura-chan?" he whined.

"Don't be so uncivilized, especially here!" She hissed.

"Okay, okay. I had to use the powder room then," the boy sighed.

"Better, but just say restroom. The powder room is a term typically used by women. You don't want people thinking that you took after Jiraiya," she whispered. I couldn't help but smile at the altercation. Yep, I had nothing to worry about. "Come on let's go find the rest of my misfits," she said softly as she began to guide me through the house.

It was bigger than I anticipated, we walked through what I think we're several corridors until we reached the den, once we walked into the room I could hear a boisterous laugh as the sweet smell of pipe tobacco filled my nostril.

"Oh, it looks like my little kitten has finally appeared!" A deep voice bellowed from the other side of the room.

"Hi Papa, sorry I just had to get a few things settled," Sakura said in a tone that higher then what she normally spoke. She released my arm and vacated the area, there was a small sound of a wheeze a moment later.

"Too tight kitten," the wheeze turned into an uncomfortable laugh.

"Sorry," she mumbled, then a relieved sigh followed. Well, it seemed her shoulder punches here not the only time she had issues with her strength.

"It's fine Hun, you just gotta remember that your old Papa is a little bit more fragile then your boys," the man sighed. ""Speaking of boys, it seems you had another one following you," he chuckled. His foot falls were heavy as he made his was over. I smiled in his direction but just as I as about to introduce myself I felt his hand grip onto my shoulders then gave it two firm pats. "So is this the stray your mother was saying that was staying with you?" he asked as he continued to pat then squeeze my shoulder. Ah, I got what was going on here. This was the warning/threatening pat and grip.

"Papa, really? No he isn't a stray. He is a friend that I am helping out. His name is Sui," she reached out and patted my arm. This was strange. I was being patted by both Sakura and her father. Well, maybe I took the man's touches as something else, perhaps this was a Haruno thing. "Sui, this is my father Haruno Kizashi." She withdrew her hand. I just continued to smile as I raised my hand for a greeting. I don't know why it surprised me when he gripped onto my forearm instead of my hand. I should have know he was going to greet me like a shinobi instead of a civilian.

"It is nice to meet you Haruno-san," I bow my head down as I say the greeting. I figure that it was probably be better to come off as overly polite then not at all.

"Right back at you Sui. I believe my wife stated that your last name was Maki," I begin to nod before Sakura cuts in.

"He prefers just Sui," she said. I cock my head to the side and wonder if I come off as I don't care for the name. When I had first came to the island I as hesitant to be linked to them, but that was due to my own past.

"Kizashi!" A woman, who I strongly believed was Sakura's mother yelled. I hear the man sigh as he steps around me.

"Well, it does seem I am being beckoned," he said as he walked out of the room. Sakura gave off a sigh and loops her arm through mine as she walks me further into the den. She directs me to a couch where I take a seat.

"Hey guys, sorry we were late," she says as she flopped down next to me.

"Were you late because of coitus?" I choke on my spit as Sai asks the question in his usual pleasant voice. What the fuck?

"WHAT?" I cringe as Sakura screeches. There are multiple muffled chuckles that ring around us, and all I can do is cough.

"Well at the bar it was brought up that he also was a fan of the same series as Kakashi-san, I am also aware that you were the inspiration for one of them. I thought that perhaps he would take advantage of the situation," he sang as he talked. I could feel my mouth open and refuse to shut. I had no clue how to respond, and the fact that Sakura may have been one of the characters.. I shook my head.

"No! You idiot! We were not doing… that," she spat. "And I have told you not to bring that up! Especially here!" she hissed. I could feel her move quickly then there was a crack of a slap. "Really Sai, how can you ALWAYS be so inappropriate?"

"SAKURA!" her mother squawked from other room. I could feel her tense as she took a breath.

"You got lucky there Sai," she said venomously before she stood. "I'll be back soon," she said as she squeezed my shoulder than stomped off. After she left the others didn't even attempt to hide their laughs.

"Sometimes I think you have a death wish Sai," Yamato sighed/laughed.

"I don't understand why that question would have angered her in such a way," Sai said. His voice was honestly confused and I sure as hell couldn't hide the surprise on my face. What planet was this kid from?

"You shouldn't ask people about their sex lives, it is inappropriate," Kakashi sighed. "That is normally a private matter, if someone wishes to speak of it than they will. But you shouldn't imply anything. Especially not with a female." There was a brief moment of silence.

"I do not understand," Sai muttered.

"Wait, _Sakura_ is in Icha Icha?" I blurted. That was a little too much for me to handle at the moment. There was a strangled cry from the other side of the room.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Naruto whined. "Do you know how weird it was to publish that book? I mean it had both Granny in it and Sakura-chan. There are somethings that you can't unsee." Okay now I was really confused. So both Sakura and Narutos' grandmother were in one of the books? I mentally went through all the volumes, but I couldn't place her in a single one.

"It was a little disturbing," Kakashi said with what seemed like disappointment. My brows furrowed.

"Which one?" I ask. I am completely lost There are no characters that remind me of Sakura, and I am almost positive that there were no elderly women.

"Icha Icha Sensei," Naruto spat the title. Ah, that is why I wasn't aware of the book. That was the last one of the series. I did indeed own it, but that was mostly because the local book seller had started to put aside copies for Hisako and I. I didn't have the heart to decline the literature. Instead I purchased the last one, only to be placed in the book case once I got home. There it had sat untouched and unread, until I had packed it up. Wait a second… Why would the author known Sakura? And Narutos' grandmother?

"Why would Sakura and your grandmother be in an Icha Icha book?" I grimace as I ask the question. There was another round of chuckles, but I could also hear Naruto snort.

"Not my real granny, that's what I can Tsunade. And pervy sage wrote about them because he was a pervy old man who had a thing about fantasizing about his former team mate and her student together," Naruto said in disgust. My mouth dropped open again because 1. The author had some serious balls to write about that and 2. That meant the author was no other than Jiraiya theToad Sage himself. How had I not figured that out? And what was worse, was now I kinda really wanted to read it.

"Yeah, they were pretty upset about it… I can't imagine what Sasuke thinks about it," Yamato nervously laughed. I couldn't help arching my brow. Huh, if this whole eye thing worked out I knew what the first thing I was going to be reading was. I cringe at how truly interested I am. I shouldn't be.

"You all are still talking about those dirty books aren't you?" Sakura growled as she entered the room.

"No, not at all Sakura-chan," Naruto said hesitantly. I just try and smooth my face into a blank mask.

"Oh right, that's why all of you are blushing like little school girls," she snarled. I heard some one cough from the other side of the room. "Whatever, this topic ends now. The rest of the family is here so mother sent me to get you all into the dinning Hall," she sighed. There were several grunts as I heard their heavy steps walk out of the room. I stood just as Sakura wound her arm around mine. "I hope they didn't talk about anything too embarrassing," she sighed as she started to lead me out of the room. I smiled in her direction, praying to all the spirits that I wasn't flushed.

"They said nothing at all to embarrass you," I said. She sighed and squeezed my arm

"Why do I have a feeling you are not telling the truth?"

We enter the dining hall and I was a little surprised to find that there were more people than just Sakura' immediate family, her team and grandmother. No, there were also several Aunts and Uncles there also. She took me around and introduced me to many of them. Honestly I forgot their names as we moved onto the next.

"And here is the reason for the get together, this is my Grandmother Maria. Grandma this is my friend Sui. He is also staying in the village for a while," Sakura said sweetly. I could feel the woman come closer. The smell of an overly flowery perfume slammed into my noise. There was also that distinctive old person smell. The one that every grandparent seemed to have. It was either what was preserving them or a smell that death was going to claim them sooner than later.

"Oh, my precious little turtle," said a shaky voice. I had to cough to cover up my laugh. Really her family just supplies the greatest nicknames possible. She let out, what I think was supposed to be, a cheerful hum. Though, clearly there was a layer of annoyance misting it. "Look at you. You have grown to be one of the most beautiful Haruno around. Reminds me of myself in my hey day." The woman let out a cackle.

"Oh, I am sure I am no were as stunning as you were at my age. I have seen your pictures Grandmother," Sakura says sweetly.

"Ah there is a good reason why you are my favorite grandchild," the older woman happily chirps. Sakura playfully shushes her.

"You don't want your other children to hear that," Sakura laugh.

"Eh let them. That is one perk of being old, get to say what ever you want," she says slyly. " Though age doesn't excuse bad manners. Look who you have brought, another handsome man." I feel a finger poke my side. I jump a bit as she laughs. "They do seem to follow you around. I don't get why you wait when you have all these delicious male specimens around. I mean look at this one." I feel two small hands grab onto my face and pull me down. Sakura, luckily seemed prepared for the sudden movements as she braces me. "Oh yes indeed. There is good breeding in this one. Look at these at strong features and this thick hair." She said as she moved her hand from my cheeks into my hair. "No eyes, but then again that means his eye won't wander," she pats my cheek and releases me. I straighten not quite knowing what to do or say. I kind of feel like I was livestock at auction.

"Uh, thanks?" I try and smirk. Maria laughs and pokes me in the side again.

"Apologies… Sui was it. I am just a fan of beautiful faces," I just stand there and smile awkwardly. Sakura just lets out a sigh.

"Really grandmother, do you have to do that with all my male friends?" She pleads

"Not my fault. Stop bringing handsome strapping young men. Maybe make friends with the town uglies," another cackle leaves the older woman .

"If everyone will please take their seats. The first course will be served shortly," Sakura's mother announced in an overly cheery voice. Never would I think that I would be happy to hear that woman's voice but it sure as hell came at the perfect time.

The meal is traditional. I was placed by Sai and Yamato, who seem to be the black sheep of the crowd. It's fine with me. Their company is better then being told I am not good enough, or being poke and prodded by an elderly woman. Our side remains fairly quite as Sakura's mother and grandmother seem to challenge each other to lead the conversation.

"Sui-san?" Sai speaks up. I have given up at telling him there is no need for formalities, instead I just turn my head in his direction and hum. "I have a question," he says politely, and I am almost afraid to hear what it is. I just raise a brow. "You said that you lost your fiancée during the war," I swallow, as I nod slowly. "I took note of the names that you visited. The one that also had your first name in it was Maki Hisako." I lick my lips but remain still. It was an odd conversation and I felt a little disturbed that he had been watching me, and had looked at the names I felt. "But, how is it you share the same last name already. Ugly said you are not of a clan. Was she your sister?" the whole time he was talking his tone was polite, and almost innocent. I shifted in my seat as I noticed the table went silent and I could hear Sakura groaning.

"There is nothing wrong with that. That is how you get strong bloodlines," Maria said from across the table. "Though not all families have strong enough blood for that." I repress a shudder and a frown. Yeah incest was well know to be a practice for clans, one I was never a fan of. I shake my head, the last thing I needed was for people to think I was involved with a biological sister.

"No, she isn't really related to me. We were both adopted." I say as I turn in his direction.

"Ah, I see. Thank you for answering my question," Sai said happily. I just try and smile as I continue to eat my soup.

"I have figured it out!" Maria yells from the other side of the table. I raise my brow as I take another spoonful if soup. "He looks like a young Uchiha Kagami!" The women screeched. I inhale the soup as I am surprised to hear my grandfather's name. "A real looker that one was. Lucky for him that I was married when I first saw him. Not so lucky for me," she sighed as I continued to cough. Someone either Yamato or Sai pounded me on my back. Well for fucks sake. "You doing okay down there boy?" I nodded as I wheezed to inhale.

"…long piece…onion.. down.. esophagus," I sputter out. She hums as I take a long drink of water. Right now every fucking cell of my body is panicking.

"Don't you think Kizashi? Look at him. Kagami was also very well bred," I place my cup down very much trying to control my body. Someone at the table let out a thoughtful hum. I force myself to make my face look quizzical. I pray to all the spirits I am pulling this off.

"Mother, you think that all dark haired men look like Uchiha Kagami," Kizashi sighs. Well that helps me relax.. a little.

"Uchiha Kagami?" I question dumbly. I can still feel my heart thudding hard against my rib cage. There was a snort from the other side of the table.

"Dear mother-in-law, I seriously doubt that this young man comes from such noble stock as Kagami," Mebuki breaths. I purse my mouth and can feel my nose flare.

"What do you know of good stock Mebuki?" Maria snorts. "Don't you have ears on that hallow head of yours. He said he was adopted. I wouldn't doubt he has better blood than most of the people at this table. Look at his handsome face. Kizashi was good looking when he was young but nothing like Kagami," She let out a dry chuckle. I fought to remain still while body just wanted to squirm. Actually all I wanted to do was run from this room. I don't know how I thought I would be found out but it definitely wasn't by an ancient lady who had a thing for my grandfather.

"Really Mother, you are one for the dramatics," a voice, maybe it was one of the many Uncles spoke up.

"Eh, if the other Uchihas were anything like Sasuke, then I don't see it. I mean Sui smiles way too much and is too nice. Well, Itachi wasn't so bad when he was resurrected, but he still wasn't all sunshine," Naruto said through a mouth full of food. I was grateful that he was derailing the conversation but I couldn't help the air catch in my lungs as Itachi was brought up. I knew that some of the Akatuski members were brought back, but I never hear that Itachi was. I assumed that they couldn't for whatever reason. I forced myself to try and steady my breath. This is ridiculous that I should be having an episode just over the mention of his name. Well. That is what my brain thought, my body on the other hand was already spiraling into a panic attack. I had to get out of here, I couldn't crack in front of them. I had to gain control.

"Let's not be ridiculous here," Mebuki sighed. "If the boy did have any good blood in him, he wouldn't have settled to live in an Inn. I mean really, you are trying to crush ash into a diamond. Some people are just ash. It would be a disgrace to this supposed linage you speak of Mother." I couldn't take it. The image of my clan in ashes, the idea that Itachi was used against the Leaf. These people were hitting buttons left and right that they weren't aware of. I could care less about what they thought of me, but the images kept bombarding me. The were voices around but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Fuck!

I stood up quickly, much quicker than I intended. My already light headedness became worse. I gripped onto the table so my body wouldn't sway. All talking had ceased at my action.

"Sorry, I need to use the restroom," I am amazed that my voice came out normal. I am also amazed that my hands didn't seem to shake, but that may be due to the fact that I had a death grip on the table.

"Okay," Sakura said slowly. I turn in her direction and nod curtly. The sound of a chair scrapping on the floor follows.

"I got it Sakura-chan, you enjoy your time with your family," Kakashi's voice drawled. I wanted to scowl, I wanted to tell him no, but I just let his hand wrap around my arm and guide me out of the room.

As we walked I felt myself beginning to fall apart. My hands began to tremble, and it was becoming harder to breath.. Why did this have to fucking happen here? The more I thought who I was around and why I really couldn't be doing this, the harder it for me to hold onto the last threads I had.

"Don't pay attention to them," Kakashi broke the silence between us. I couldn't even respond if I wanted to, if I spoke everything would come crumbling down. I purse my lips and nod. "Good blood, bad blood, there isn't such a thing. All that social hierarchy is bullshit. Sometimes you get a bonus of a blood limit, but that alone doesn't make some one great," he said flatly. I should be wondering why he was trying to comfort me, because wasn't that what he was trying to do? Why the hell would he even give a shit? He slowed down and I heard the creak of the door opening. "Here you are," he said as he guided me through the door.

Once I was locked in the bathroom I let myself slide down the wall. I felt like I hadn't been breathing for five minutes, which I am sure that I hadn't. I gasped for breath as I hung my head between my legs. I had to get it together. I couldn't just sit here all night. My heart was still pounding hard in my chest, so much so that it was beginning to pain me. I try and force myself to breath in through my nose and for my body to relax. It just wasn't working. The more I think I need to get over this quickly the more difficult it was to regain my composer. I probably shouldn't have yelled at Sakura about her issues a few days ago. I had no room to talk.

It felt like I had been sitting there for hours, which it wouldn't surprise me if I was. The nausea and empty headed feeling began to subside as there was a knock on the door. I just turn my head in the direction and run my tongue over my dry lips.

"You okay in there kid?" Kakashi's muffled voice came through the door. I curse under my breath as I pull myself up.

"Yeah, fine. Stomach problems," I grimace as I reach for the sink. Once I find it I pull my blind fold off and set it to the side. I could hear him grunt as I turned the sink on. I let the cool water run through my fingers before splashing it on my face. I take in a deep breath and hope that I look somewhat normal. I turn the tap off, secure the fabric over my eyes and open the door. Now I can feel Kakashi's chakra standing there. Something makes a snapping noise and he clears his throat.

"You sure you are doing ok? You really don't look very good." I just shake my head and sigh.

"I am fine," I say as he takes ahold of my upper arm. I really disliked the fact that while here I had to reign in my chakra. If I could just let it leak out I would be able to tell where everything was. "You know you are far more interesting than I thought you would be," Kakashi says. I just raise a brow at that as I feel my stomach twist. Him saying that really couldn't be a good thing. I am also coming to realize that I really didn't enjoy concealing myself and tip toeing around. I only have to keep it up for a while. I won't live here forever. Once the surgery is complete, I'll make my way back to the inn. "Back into the lions den we go," Kakashi chuckled.

The rest of the evening was strained and awkward. Yamato had whispered that Sakura released all hell once I left, and had basically shut down anymore talk of me, my appearance and lineage. I was really grateful for that. I never wanted to be the center of attention at this get together as it was.

The main course was served after that Sakura's baked goods were offered and shortly after she announced that we had to leave. Goodbye's were quick, though I was groped once more by her grandmother. When we finally left their estate it felt like a thousand pounds came off my shoulders.

We walked for a few moments in silence and I was fine with that. Though I had able to regain most of my bearings I was finally able to fully relax.

"I am so sorry about that," she said softly. "There really is nothing that I can say besides sorry. They didn't, well _**she**_ didn't have the right to say any of that about you," her voice was hesitant at first but became stronger the more she spoke. "You probably think that everyone in the village is crazy, and I don't blame you," she dryly laughed. I ran my free hand through my hair and shook my head.

"Don't apologize for them, you had nothing to do with it," I frowned.

"No I do need to apologize. I mean, I knew they were more then likely going to say something messed up, I just didn't think it was going to be that bad." There was a moment of silence. What could I say? your mother is an asshole. I don't think that would make anything better. "Are you okay? You looked a bit pale when you left." She asked softly. I turn my head in her direction and smile.

"You don't need to worry about me Turtle-kun. It will take the more then the ramblings of a few women to knock me down."

"Turtle-kun… great."

There wasn't much sleep that night, not from my lack of trying. No, I was exhausted, but Sakura was stomping through the apartment checking everything over and over again. Really, the anxiety that she was displaying kept on making me anxious. Late into the night I actually had to demand that she go to bed. She growled and hissed at me, but eventually she did sleep.

I wouldn't say that she slept for the night, no it was more like a nap. She was up early. Earlier than the rest of the village. While she rampaged the apartment I groggily made coffee and some breakfast. Once I was finished I sat at the table and waited for her.

"Okay, I think that I have everything ready," she flopped down next to me. I just raised a brow as I sipped on my coffee.

"Are you sure?" I smirk behind the cup. "I think I only heard you check your pack ten or eleven times," my smirk slid into a grin. She slapped my shoulder causing of the coffee to splash into my face.

"Oh shut it. I am sure it took you a while to pack before coming here," I could hear the scowl in her voice and it only made me grin more.

"Actually it took me maybe two hours to pack, and it was at midnight the night before you came," I said as I wiped the coffee off of me cheek with my arm. She grunted next to me.

"Yeah, well you didn't have medical supplies to pack, and to make sure weapons were in good condition," she growled.

"That I didn't," I agreed as I leaned back. "What time are you off?"

"I have to be at the main gate in two hours," she sighed. "I really don't want to go." I smile at her as I push a plate in her direction.

"Well you should eat, and it will go by faster than you think. Plus you have my handsome mug to look forward to seeing again." I can hear her utensils hitting the plate as she ate until she let out a loud laugh

"Oh, what grandmother said went straight to that big head of yours," she cackled. I just frowned and turned away from her.

"My head is the right size for my body," I say as I lift my chin up. She chuckles again.

"Right, and how would you know? Been able to see your self lately?" I tsk at the low comment.

"Well I may not really know what I look like, but I can feel my body and it feels just the right proportion," I saw as I arch a brow.

"Do a lot of feeling do you?" I still at that comment, not just the comment, but how her voice had seemed to become lower. I could feel the blood pooling in my cheeks as they began to warm.

"Uh, not more then usual?" I stupidly reply. Not more then usual? Who would say that, and why is she insinuating… things?

"You know it's fine if you do. It's completely natural," her tone was much lighter and teasing. I scowl at her. I know what is natural for a man, but when the hell did this conversation take this turn? Sure we banter and teased but it had never turned sexual… at least when both of us were sober or not sparing. And besides being slightly embarrassed, I was a bit mortified that I was kind of a turned on. I shook my head don't even go there. "Just be sure to keep it to the bathroom I don't need… uh, DNA on my couch or guest bed." My mouth dropped open and I really didn't know how to respond to her. "Well, thanks for breakfast as usual. I am going to make sure that my med pack is good…. Since I only checked it six times," she giggled as she patted me on the shoulder and left me dumbfounded at the table.

There was a fair amount of protesting but I convinced her to let me walk her to the main gate. It was a long time ago that I had missions but it was always nice to have some one see you off. It was also a custom that we had on the island. Sure, we were only typically leaving for supplies but it was nice. By now that habit was engrained deep within me.

"You really didn't have to come with," Sakura sighed for the third time. "I mean are you going to be able to find your way back ok?" I just smiled.

"I already told you, that I'll have no problem. I promise," I say as I bump into her shoulder. She let's out another sigh.

"Oh, well they are here earlier than I thought," she said flatly as I turn my head in her direction and quirk a brow. "It seems that the clients were early," I nod as I realize that the man is here and waiting for her.

"Oh, if it isn't the pink diamond of Konoha. My dear Sakura, really it has been too long. I did send you a notice that I was here, and I was disappointed that I could not feast my eyes upon you until now," a man flamboyantly yelled. I could feel Sakura tense next to me as she moved stiffly forward.

"There is a saying about distance Jimmu-sama," Sakura said flippantly. The man, not catching the tone, laughed boisterously. I just raised a brow.

"Ah my sweet petal, nothing can make me feel any fonder of you. You possess my mind, body and soul and I cannot wait for the time when I can possess you," he growled at her. I didn't even bother to fight it I scowled at the man. I didn't give a shit who's son he was, people were not their to be possessed or owned.

"I am afraid that you may be waiting for all of eternity, as I am not some one to be owned. I believe we already have had this discussion Jimmu-sama," she said in a steely tone. The man laughed at her. Fucking thought it was funny that she declined him.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, you forget. I always get what I want," he chuckled darkly.

"You should try taking a hint," I growled. I could feel Sakura still and tense next to me. I know it really wasn't my place but the man reminded me of Yasha and it had me on edge.

"Oh and who is this? Is he a broken little guard dog? Sakura I do admire the way you care for those of a lower cast," The man said in a condescending voice. My frown deepens and I got to take a step forward only to be halted by Sakura's arm.

"Don't," she hisses at me. I stop my advance, but I may have accidentally let my chakra leak a little killing intent, or a lot. "I got this, don't get involved." I just nod but stand stiffly next to her. "Oh it's not me that needs a guard, though you did hire me to guard you. I wouldn't make such brash statements to the one who is here to see over your safety," she said smoothly. There was a squawk of indignation from the man be for the said something about awaiting her at the caravan. She sighed as the man walked away.

"I don't like him," I frown as I turn to her. She laughs a little before patting my shoulder.

"No one does," she whispered into my ear. "Good thing I don't have to like them to do my job." I just hum at her as I frown.

"I was not aware that the spring of Konoha was accompanying me on this trek," a voice yelled from behind us. I felt Sakura turn her body and groan.

"Oh Tsunade you sick sadistic woman," she muttered. "Hey Lee! I didn't know you were coming also," she said in a cheerful tone.

"Ah I am indeed. Hokage-sama said that I would be perfect at the mission of keeping the son of the leader of our nation safe. It is a great honor. It is an even greater honor to be serving with the second slug Sanin," ah I remember this one. He was the miniature version of Might Gai. Oh, this was going to be an awesome mission for her. "Should we begin to prepare the caravan for the trip?" He asked with far too much enthusiasm.

"Yes, I'll there in a moment. Let me just say goodbye to Sui."

"Yes, proper farewells are important. Gai Sensei had come to my apartment this morning to bode me farewell. How youthful and beautiful it is that Sui-san came to see you off!" ok this kid made Naruto seem like he had a normal volume.

"Youthful indeed," Sakura laughed. "Not a bit old fashioned."

"I will go and begin the prep than. It was nice to see you on this glorious morning," Lee yelled as he ran off. I just smiled and waved in the direction of his foot falls.

"This mission is going to be a hoot for you," I laughed as she grunted at me.

"Oh I am sure it will be. Thanks for walking me," she said as she pushed her shoulder into mine.

"Not a problem, send a message when you are heading back and I'll meet you at the gate," I smiled.

"You really don't have to do that," she replied softly. I just shrugged at her.

"You don't have to do anything for me, and here you are hosting me and growing my eyes."

"Alright, but how are you going to read it?" She snorted and I shrugged again.

"I can have Ino read it when she comes by, or hell I am sure your teammates will drop by, they seem to be that type of lot. So you might want to make sure it isn't racy," I saw with a smirk as she scoffs.

"Like that would ever happen," she grumbles. I grin at her.

"It's okay if you think about it, it's only natural you know." She snorts as she hits me in the shoulder.

"I gotta go, before this gets even weirder," she grumbles. I wonder if she is blushing right now, because I hope she is.

"Alright, have a safe trip," I say as I begin to walk away but then I turn in her direction. "Really though be sure to keep the message clean."

"Oh sweet gods, shut it and go home!" She yells. I just wave at her.

"I'll miss you too Kitteny Turtle-kun," I swear that I hear a slight scream but I just keep walking. I realize that I have pushed all of her buttons in a few moments and I rather escape without bruising.

I walk around the village and the playful mood I was in was slowly draining as I realize the amount of flirting that was happening. I don't know how to feel about it. Why did these thing just come off my tongue? Why did I like to rile her up? And why did it feel natural? What was with this attraction that I felt? It wasn't about just sex, because, hell that hadn't happened. Did I want… Well, hell of course I wanted sex. I hadn't been with anyone in over two years not since Hisako and it seems my libido was reminding me of that. I shake my head, it wasn't just that though, but maybe I really did need to indulge that urge. Koji said it wasn't normal or healthy to go so long with out, perhaps he was right.

It couldn't be just because I was horney. Yeah, the idea of her in Icha Icha was a turn on, but I think that just is from my perverted mind. Thinking about any of the heroins was a turn on. Plus besides that kiss, there hasn't been any real sexual contact between us. I sigh as I keep on walking. Perhaps I am just over analyzing the situation. Maybe she was a flirty person, but then again I hadn't witnessed her flirting with anyone else. At all. But did I want her in that way or was I just placing my hormones on the closest woman to me right now?

I shove my hands in my pocket and my stomach twist as I feel the cool metal brush my fingertips. I let my fingers draw the tags out of my pocket and sigh. What would Hisako think of all of this? I frown as I continue to walk. Without thinking I manage to walk to the cenotaph. I slightly let my chakra out until I can feel were the stone was sitting. I slowly walk up to it. I think that I am in roughly the area where their names are carved but I am not sure. Reaching out I let my fingers trace the groove of a name.

"This isn't how it supposed to be," I sigh knowing that more than likely I was touching a stranger's name. "I am not supposed to be here. We both were suppose to be on the island, giving Noni and Yosh a hard time. Dealing with the smart mouths of Koji, Yumma, and Goro. Getting married," I smile as I fall to my knees. " I was suppose to be making those beautiful babies with you…" I run my hand through my hair. "I don't know what to do anymore. What would you want from me? No, I know you would want me to be happy, but how can I be when my thoughts always come back to you. I don't want to let you down." I sigh heavily. "I don't know, but I think that I may possibly have a.. thing for Sakura," I grimace as I say it out loud. Talking about it even to the dead makes me shift uncomfortably. "I mean it isn't the same as it was with you. But then again everything fell so naturally with us, as if it was breathing. I.. I don't know.. I like to be around her, we do fight and tease, she yells and uses brute force, but I feel like myself around her. Like I have nothing to hide," even though I did. "What should I do?" I breath as I lean forward and press me forehead against the stone. I wanted to talk to my family, I wished I could ask Yosh or Koji what they thought. But they were not here and I had days now to dwell on this. Maybe I was just being stupid. Even if I had feelings started, I didn't know if she felt the same way. And honestly though I was leaving. I would be going back home. It was ridiculous to become attached.

I lean back as I feel someone approaching. They don't bother hiding their chakra as they slowly make their way to the stone. I know that I have met them before and I mentally go through all the signatures I had come across. At this time they were standing near by. There is a sharp metallic click then the sound of metal quickly scraping against flint. A moment later the heavy smell of tobacco curls in the air.

"I didn't know you smoked Shikamaru," I said as I finally registered who it was. He grunted as he took a step closer.

"I don't. It's a filthy habit. But one my late Sensei enjoyed," he said lazily. "I light a cigarette and let it burn, like an incense stick. I figure Asuma gets a kick out of it," he drawled. I just nod. "It's good that I found you here, that way I don't have to hunt you down later." I turn my head in his direction and raise a brow.

"Why would you need to hunt me down?" I ask as I scratch my chin.

"Ino said that Sakura had to leave on a mission," he sighed. Standing I nodded to him.

"Yeah an escort of the Daimyo's son," I say as I straighten my pants.

"Ah, those type of missions are always troublesome. Rich people," he sighed. "I'd rather be chasing a cat down. Anyways, Ino said that she'll be gone for a while and I should invite you out with all us."

"Oh, well that isn't necessary. I'll be fine while she is gone," I say as I run my hand through my hair. It's not that I didn't appreciate the offer it was just that I would probably feel out of place.

"No it really is though. If you don't come out I will have to listen to her nag me about it. The woman can be worse than my mother when she doesn't get her way. So you should come, if only to spare Choji, Sai and I an earful from her," he sighed. "Plus it will make Sakura happy that we included you, and a happy medic is always a bonus." I smile and shake my head.

"Fine I'll come for a while," I shrug. It wasn't like I really had any plans, and it really couldn't be worse than going to Sakura's families dinner.

"Alright, thanks. Some one will come over and get ya tomorrow night." I heard him step forward, his foot grinding on the ground. "Don't spend too long with the dead. It can be hard to remember to live when you do," he sighed and walked off. I just raised a brow in his direction.

Eventually I found my way back to the apartment. It was still the afternoon and Ino would not be arriving till the evening. I make myself something to eat than didn't have a clue what to do from there. That was because there was nothing to do. I turned in the radio, and sat on the couch. What do people do when they live alone?

I opted for a shower, because why the hell not? Then I did something that I had never done in my adult life. I walked into the kitchen naked and got myself a drink. Now this was the freedom of living by yourself. I smile I I sip my tea. Stupid, sure, but it was massively freeing at the same time.

My naked time didn't last long as I remembered that I didn't pull the blinds, or secure the door. I quickly made my way to my room and dress. No one had shown up, but I didn't know how well people from the streets could see inside. All I needed was for Sakura to come home to her neighbor s talking about the naked man walking through her apartment. That would be an uncomfortable conversation.

So the next few hours were spent waiting for Ino. I had thought maybe I should go for a walk or to the training fields but I was concerned that I wouldn't be back in time for her visit. So I laid about listening to the radio.

I awoke to the sound of knocking on the door and I cursed myself for falling asleep. Having a timed sleep pattern was something that I really had to focus on and couldn't afford to take naps. I sigh as I realize this will throw off my cycles more than normal.

The door creaks open before I am even able to pull myself up from the couch.

"Sui-Kun?" Ino's voice floats from the hallway.

"In here," I croak as I sit up and run my hand down my face. I can hear her walk in and tsk.

"Sakura says not to rub your lids," she said as it sounded like she placed down a bag. I sigh and I lean back in my chair.

"I wasn't rubbing them, I just woke up," I yawned.

"Well still don't touch your lids. I don't need Sakura blaming me for anything while she is gone." I feel the couch dip down next to me. "So shall we start this regeneration?" I nod to her and I feel her shift her weight again. "Okay the best position Sakura said was for me to sit crossed legged and have you rest your head in my lap."

"What ever works best for you is good for me," I stretch, Than feel her grab onto my shoulder and guides me down. She moves a little adjusting were my head is then begins to pull the blindfold off.

"This good?" I grunt and nod as I relax a little.

"Okay, let's get this jutsu on the road than," she says lightly before placing her hand on the side of my face. I tense for a moment as I feel her breasts rest near the crown of my head. Well it seems that Ino is more endowed than Sakura. She shifts again pressing harder against my head. "This ok?"

"Yeah," I grunt, because I honestly have no intention of bringing up my current problem. I needed to stop thinking about it.

"Ok I am going to start to release my chakra," she said softly. Slowly I felt her energy enter into my sockets. Quickly there was a burning sensation that followed. That brought me out of any musing about the breasts that were currently on my scalp. It wasn't the worst pain, but it was definitely uncomfortable.

"Are you doing okay there? Is there any pain?" She asks in a professional tone.

"A bit, kinda burning," I say as I try and keep my head still. She let's out a sigh and I can feel her pull a bit of her chakra back.

"I am sorry I am trying to be as gentle as possible. Sakura has freaky chakra control, so even these delicate procedures are easy for her. You're lucky to have her working on you, she is probably the only one that could make this easy," I can hear her concentration through her words. I grunt as I try not to focus on the pain. These next few sessions are not going to be comfortable.

Ino remains quite for most of the time, which is a little awkward but I deal with it. She occasionally hums here and there and I can feel the different parts of the procedure that she is having difficulties with. She was right her control wasn't as refined as Sakura's. Which I have come to learn through her muttering that basically she was a genius when it came to medical jutsu. It really shouldn't have surprised me, but it did. I hadn't been around properly trained medics for a long time, so when Sakura healed with no discomfort I figured that was the norm.

"Finally," Ino sighed. "We are done with the therapy. Let me just numb up the area and you'll be right as rain," she said as her chakra wrapped itself around the different nerves. This part she was good at. Perhaps it didn't take as much precision as rejuvenating the optic nerve.

"So have you come across Shikamaru today?" She asked as she pulled her chakra away. I grunted as I pulled myself up to a sitting position.

"Yeah I did. Really Ino, you don't have to worry about me. I would have been fine staying in," I said as I ran my hand through my hair. She snorted.

"Yeah staying in and listening to talk radio like a seventy year old. You know we do use isolation and horrible radio as an interrogation technique in T&I" she said sarcastically. I frowned in her direction. What was wrong with talk radio? Hell, it made a lot more sense to me than television. "Anyways it will be good for you to get out with out Forehead. You two have almost been completely inseparable since you came," she sighed.

"Is that such a bad thing?" I asked as I cocked my brow.

"Well people are going to think there is something going on. Plus you are going to be here for a while, then I am sure that Sakura will have you back in town to do rechecks every so often. It would be nice for there to be more familiar people than her and her nutty team," I just sat there and hummed nonchalantly at her. "Wait, is there something going on between you two?" I turn my head in her direction and furrow my brow. How did she get that assumption? I didn't even react when she brought it up.

"Uh, no. We are just friends and she's doing me this massively amazing favor," I say as I scratch the back of my neck. I know she is staring at me, and I feel as if my skin is burning from her scorching gaze. She let's out a low hum.

"Can't hide that from someone in T&I. You know if there was something there, it wouldn't be the worse thing," she said slowly. "But, Sakura has been through a lot. She doesn't need some guy dicking around with her. Especially some one that will leave her. She has been through that too many times." She says flatly as I feel the couch shift as she stands. I just sit there quietly not really knowing quite how to respond. "Think it over carefully. Well I have to be at the shop to help my mom with inventory first thing in the morning. I am going to try and get here early in the evening so you can go hang out with the boys at night," she said as she began to gather her belongings. "So I am off. See you tomorrow Sui-Kun, and please be sure not to rub your eyes." I just nod not bothering to face in her direction.

"Alright, have a good night Ino-chan," I weakly wave to her.

I can't sleep. Not only from the late nap I took, but from also dwelling on what Ino had said. She was right. I would be leaving after all this is said and done. There was no point in letting my attraction and and attachments grow stronger. I couldn't stay here. I would constantly be on guard waiting for the nail to drop. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. I sigh as I roll over on my side. Damn it, why couldn't this just be simple? And why did my stomach knot at thinking of leaving her? I have only known her for a few weeks. It was impossible to feel this way for someone that had been a stranger only a few months ago? Then someone that I had avoided at all cost? Right?

I tried to answer these questions all night, but I wasn't getting anywhere with my own answers. Though I think that I had mentally exhausted myself as eventually I was able to get some sleep.

The next day I felt just as lost as the previous. I was still mulling over the feelings of yesterday, and I was bored out of my mind. Thankfully a distraction by the name of Konohamaru stopped by in the late morning. He asked.. well, actually more like demanded that we spar and train. I was more than happy to help the kid out. Anything to get me out of the apartment and to stop my brain from thinking.

In no way was the spar evenly matched. Though, the kid had guts and spunk I'd give him that. I was also rather surprised that he knew Narutos' wind jutsu and seemed to be able to wield it well. Eventually he got tired of the spar and wanted to try and figure out how I could see without eyes. Honestly, it would probably be a good skill for a ninja to have. So I tried to explained the best I could.

He didn't quite get it, but I told him that it took me quite a while to figure it out. In turn he demanded that I had to stay in the village until he did.

Ino came back earlier that night. She smelled strongly of the flowers that she was inventorying. It was a welcome distraction from the burning sensation and her breast on my head. She didn't have much to say about Sakura. I figured that she was just letting it be. She wasn't bad company, but she did talk a lot. In the course of the session than the meal I made for us after, I had pretty much caught up on all the gossip of the village. Though it really shouldn't have been a surprise. When someone works in interrogation of course they would want to collect information of everyone around them.

Shikamaru showed up at the door just as Ino was leaving for the night. They greeted each other, Ino threatened him not to do anything too stupid during the boys night out. He grunted saying that her and Sakura usually caused more of a stir.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru sighed as she left. I smirked and shrugged.

"Ah, but they do have their good qualities," I say as I begin to get prepared to leave.

"I suppose they do. We should get going everyone is probably at the bar," he sighs. I nod as I grab the keys and open the door.

He takes me to a different bar than the one we had went to the time before. It is much louder and the pub stench is much thicker. He explains that the clientele is mostly shinobi. That this is a place they come were they don't have to as on guard as when they are mixed with civilian. I hesitate for a moment, because I technically am a civilian.

"No, you are more like us than you are them. I have heard Naruto and Sai talking about how you fight, not too many civilians can handle themselves like that," he drawled as he led me though the bar. Once we reach the table there is a boisterous greeting from all his comrades.

"SUI!" Naruto yelled I raise my hand and wave. "I didn't know you were coming out!"

"Ino's idea. Said I should make more friends than just Sakura and her team," I said as I slid into the seat next to him.

"That is very true, one can never have too many friends," a voice came from the other side of the table. I turn my head quizzically as I am having a hell of a time placing the name. "Ah, my name is Shino. We have met before at the festival, but it seems that you also have a hard time remembering," He sighs.

"Sorry," I mumble.

"Shino don't be like that. Cut the guy a break he can't see and he met a lot of people that night," another man yelled from the other side of the table. "Names Kiba. What are you drinking?" Kiba. That was Hanna's brother if I remembered correctly. Great, he was connected to one of two people that I really needed to avoid.

"Sake is fine," I say. I really wanted to make sure that I didn't drink too much. I wanted nothing to do with another hang over.

Well plan one of not drinking too much went down hill fast. The moment my saucer was empty some on was filling it up. And after a while the burning had completely subsided and it was easier to drink faster. Looks like I would be dealing with a hangover any ways.

The table was filled with constant banter. They were constantly ribbing each other, or talking about missions. I would just sit there stupidly and listen to the stories. It was nice and perhaps Ino was correct that it was more enjoyable than talk radio.

"So Sakura still waiting on Sasuke?" Kiba slurred across from the table. I lazily raise a brow at the question.

"Ugly will always be waiting for the traitor," Sai giggled.

"Sai, just use their names. Sakura isn't Ugly and Sasuke isn't a traitor," Naruto sighed next to me. Sai let out a snort.

"Next you will be saying that you aren't dickless" the boy laughed.

"Well I do have one, what you want to see it?" Naruto growled.

"Ah cut the macho shit, I was just wondering if there was a chance that she may have given up on him," Kiba said in an annoyed tone. That was when everyone began to laugh.

"You believe that Sakura would be interested in you," Sai snorted. I smirk at his tone. The more the kid drank the more he seemed to become human.

"She'll wait for him forever, all that true love crap," Shikamaru sighed as his glass clunked against the table.

"Hey now, love isn't that bad," I slur as I reach for my saucer again.

"Yeah, well it is if it leaves you high and dry," Kiba snorted. "I mean the girl has been waiting on him for years, he comes back for what? A month? Than leaves again. She hasn't been with anyone, that cant be good. I mean think of how much she would loosen up if she got laid. She might stop hitting Naruto and Sai so much. Plus I wouldn't mind to be the one to help her relax," he sighed. I couldn't help the frown. A small part of me wanted to lash out at him talking about her in such a manner.

"Ugh, can we stop talking about Sakura's sex life," Naruto whined.

"Man you don't have much room to talk. Your getting busy with my teammate," Kiba snapped.

"Yeah but I don't talk about it," Naruto growled.

"Kakashi-san did inform me that it was indeed rude to talk about sex," Sai said happily.

"From the one who is banging Ino," Choji laughed.

"No, we do not bang, we have sexual intercouse," Sai interjected. I just sat back and listen to them go on and on about sex. Yeah it was a little uncomfortable but it made me think about how Koji would ramble when he was out drinking.

"Whatever, I know I need to get laid and if it's not Sakura and I need to pull from the shinobi fan club that is fine with me," Kiba said. Ok the sex talk was getting a bit old. Some one said something about running our of sake and I was more than happy to volunteer to go and procure more.

I slowly and carefully stumbled my way to the bar. I stand there for a few moments waiting for the bar keep when I feel some one slide in next to me.

"Hey there," a woman's gravely voice rings in my ear. She begins to lean close, I can feel the warmth of her body and her breath on my neck. "I haven't seen you around, new in Konoha?" She breaths into me.

"Uh, yeah just visiting a friend," I say as I lean away from her. I'd personal space really too much to ask for?

"Oh, and who is your friend?" she purrs and leans closer. I can smell the a sweet hard liquor on her breath.

"Haruno Sakura," I answer still uncomfortable with her invasion.

"Oh, Pinky. Yeah I know her," she laughs as she touches my arm. I tense at the touch. "You know I have been watching you for a while here. I was wondering what a blind man was doing in a shinobi bar. I am actually rather surprised at how hard your muscles are. I wouldn't think that you would be this toned under all these clothes," she said as she ran her hand up my arm and squeezed. I lean farther away as she drops her hand. Slowly it clicks. She was hitting on me. I try and think of the last time a woman had been so forward, but I couldn't come up with one instance. "I wonder what the rest of you looks like." She nearly whispers as I feel her hands tug the bottom of my shirt up a little. Shocked I grab her hand and push them off.

"Don't," I demand as I straighten my shirt. She lets out a slow laugh.

"Aw, come on I am just looking to have a little _fun_ , and you have peaked my interest little mouse," I frown as she comes closer again. Where the hell is the bar tender?

"Sorry, I don't have _fun_ with people I just met. I don't even know your name," I sigh. I should tell her just to fuck off.

"We can get to know each other. Names Anko. What's yours?" She says keeping her distance. Mouse.. I get it. She is the snake and she has chosen me to be her prey. I was about to make a snide remark, but than my other head began thinking. Several times over the past week I had thought maybe I just needed to get laid, and here Anko was throwing herself at me.

"Sui," I say as I turn towards her.

"Water, hmmm. I do enjoy to play in it," I just smirk at her and she takes it as an invitation to get closer. "What about you? Do you enjoy playing with _wet_ things," she whispers in my ear. At this point it has become very clear to me that I don't really know how to force flirting and dirty talk with strangers was not my forte either.

"Uh, yeah," I nearly stutter as I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I feel her hand go under the bottom of my shirt and her finger brush my hip bones. The smile falls from my face as I run my tongue over my lips.

"Yeah?" She drawls. "I could go for getting a little wet, or even soaked tonight." She begin the trace her finger over my hip up my side. I could feel myself responding to her touches, but before I can respond some one cleared their throat behind us. She slowly withdrew her hand as a low growl came from her.

"What do you want Cyclops?" she growled.

"Ah, Genma was looking for you. Said you went to get a refill five minutes ago. Wanted to let you know to get an extra bottle. Seems Izumo, Kotetsu, and Hana are all on their way." Kakashi said flippantly.

"Maybe they should get their own booze," she snapped.

"It does seem this round is on you though," he sighed.

"Whatever. Yo! Bar tender I need five bottles of sake!" she screamed over the counter loosing all sensual tones in her voice. I could also feel my excitement leaving. Actually all that took was hearing Hana's name. Right then I knew I had to get out of here.

"You staying around here?" She asked in a softer tone. There were a series of sharp clinks as she gather her bottles. I shook my head.

"Na, I actually gotta get going," I sigh. Actually I am a bit relieved that I don't have to attempt to come up with anything witty.

"Your loss, maybe another time," she says as she walks away.

"You don't want to get mixed up with her," Kakashi says quietly from behind. I raise a brow as I turn in his direction. " I have heard men never come out the same," he chuckles before leaving. I sigh as I wave the bar tender and fill my order. I drop the bottles off at the table and tell them that I was leaving. Naruto decides to walk me back to the apartment, saying the sex talk was getting out of hand. I laugh and accept his offer.

I enter the apartment and lean against the door. Was I seriously thinking of sleeping with Anko? For the hundredth time this week I wonder what is wrong with me.

 **I would like to say thank you all for coming on this ride with me. To the new readers welcome! It really does mean a ton that you take time out of your day to read and review. I am so happy that you are enjoying it. Thank you a million times.**

 **So we are getting close to Sasuke coming in the picture and having Shisui get his eyes. I really can't wait to get to the juicy parts, but I think these chapter are important even though not a whole lot happens.**

 **When I first started this story it was a bit difficult to write in a blind man's perspective, but the more I immerged myself in his world the easier it became, but that will soon be shifting, writing a seeing Shisui may prove to be a challenge but one I am up to :D**

 **Thanks again. You all are so incredibly awesome.**

 **Have a great weekend!**

 **P.S.**

 **We got a mini farm :D bring on the ninja chickens!**


	21. Chapter 21

Waiting. I hated the waiting game. Sakura had been gone for five days now, and I just wanted her back. It was boring without her. Sure, people would stop by but she was far more entertaining. Well, actually her team was pretty entertaining but it would always end in a fight and Sai and Naruto facing off to spar. Yamato was polite, and so was Kakashi. Frankly, the polite Kakashi had me far more on edge than the asshole Kakashi. He was up to something, and I didn't know what it was.

So there I lay on her couch, trying to figure out what to do by myself once again. I had already trained with Konohamaru, walked around the village, made a big enough lunch that I wouldn't have to worry about cooking dinner... or breakfast or lunch the next day. It turns out that cooking for just one person was a lot more difficult that cooking for multiple people. I sigh as I turn, there wasn't even anything good on the radio. Suddenly there was a tap on the window. I turned my head to it and raised a brow. Sakura's home seemed to have an open door policy, not too many people knocked before entering. Which was extremely obnoxious. It was a good thing that I didn't try and have another naked time.

Heaving myself up from the couch I slowly began to walk to the window. I seeped my chakra out to see if I could figure out who was there but I barely got a flicker. I furrowed my brow as I walked closer. There was something about the chakra that was familiar but something that I had not felt in a very long time. I slowly opened the window and there was a soft cawing that greeted me. I smile at the sound of the bird.

"Been a long time friend," I say as I extend my hand out. The bird makes some type of noise as it dropped the paper in my hand. I wasn't sure that it was a crow but it felt so familiar, I am almost sure that it was. The bird pecked my finger once before I heard the sound of wings flapping against the wind. Smiling I close the window as I place the parchment on the table and move to the couch. I would have to wait to know what it says once Ino comes.

"Hey Sui-kun," Ino says as she opens the door. I am once again in the kitchen making more food since there was nothing else that I could think of doing. I raise my hand as I grunt at her greeting. "It smells great in here. Are you cooking for me again?" She asks as she makes her way into the kitchen.

"Actually yes. I made you dinner and I also have some food prepared in the fridge that you can take home," I say as I stir the pot. She hums and the sound of a chair dragging on the floor fills the air.

"You know I am actually going to miss coming to do your therapy. My fridge has never been as full at it has been recently. I mean, keep this up and Choji is going to start showing up with me," She laughed. "Hey, what is this?" I can hear her tap something on the table.

"Ah, if you mean the scroll it was dropped off a few hours ago. I think that it may be from Sakura," I said as I plate the fried noodles and shrimp. I walk over to the table with the plates and put one in front of her.

"It does seem to be from her. It is labeled to you, and it is her handwriting," She says through a mouthful of food. I just lazily smirk at her as I push the food around my plate. I wasn't really hungry, I just made the food to have something to do.

"Mind reading it to me?" I ask as I pick up some noodles and shoved it into my mouth. She lets out a hum and I can hear her unraveling the scroll.

"Dear Sui-chan... You two are so weird with the nicknames," Ino sighs. I just shrug as I take another bite of noodles. "Anyways... I hope that all is going well with you. It is hot and steamy here, and I am looking to coming back home. I am just writing to let you know that I will be back in two days from the time that you get this letter. I am hoping to see the gates around noon, but I can't really guarantee when I will be back. My client has been less than easy to deal with. As a matter of fact, the man is actually refusing to stay where we were supposed to drop him off at. So he is now accompanying us back to Konoha. I am looking forward to being back and seeing you, the progress of your sockets, and the growth of your eyes. I can barely contain the excitement I have to see you with them! Anyways I have to get going. Hope everyone is being kind to you, and that you are not too bored. Also remember not to entertain yourself in the living room. I really like that couch. See you soon.  
Yours always,  
Sakura."

I snorted as Ino finished the dictation and I could hear her clicking her tongue. "Why is she so obsessed with you not being on the couch. I mean she makes it sound like you are a dog or something," Ino sighs as I hear her throw the paper onto the table.

"I dunno," I say trying to hide the smirk. "I guess she is really attached to her couch," I shrug as I continue eating. Ino gives a less then satisfied hum, then I can hear her picking up her chopsticks as she began to eat . We sit in silence for a while. It really didn't bother me, I honestly had nothing to talk about. I mean, I didn't really do anything during the day besides walk around and try to not get bored.

"So what is going on with you and Anko?" I nearly spit my food out as she asks the question sweetly. I am sure that there is a look of confusion all over my face.

"What? What do you mean?" I asked back after taking a hard swallow.

"Oh, well I heard from a little bird that she was all over you a few days ago at the bar. It also seemed to this little bird that you weren't trying to swat her away," I can hear the grin in her voice as I just sit there stupidly. Of course, other people may have seen what happened, I mean she was hitting on me in a public place. I just leaned back and sigh as I shook my head.

"Well, nothing happened and nothing is going to happen," I drawl. Ino hums again as she moved her chopstick o around her bowl. Raising a brow I tilt my head. I wasn't expecting that reaction.

"Good," she finally says. "For one thing, you want to steer clear of that woman. I mean she is fun to hang without at the bar... well if she isn't trying to get in your pants. But the thing is she has a thing for, uh oddities. As much at I don't want to say it, you are a bit of an intrigue to the village." I frown as she says that. I haven't done anything to make me an oddity, and frankly, I don't like that there is attention on me and I wasn't aware of it. I hear her sigh as I frown. "I mean come on, of course, people are going to be talking. You hang out with Sakura, who is a part of team seven. People watch them all the time. You know, since they are basically the most famous team ever. And you two have been attached at the hip, then having a blind man being able to actually spar with them. Well, you can see why the villagers are interested," she said lightly. Furrowing my brows I pull in my lips and run my tongue over it. Well shit, if that was the one thing that I was avoiding. It seems no matter what people were watching and talking. "Besides that, I thought that you wanted Sakura," she said flippantly. I still my jaw as I raised a brow. "If you want her, don't fuck with her," her voice became steely.

"I didn't do anything. I am not going to do anything," I hissed at her. I know that even thinking about sleeping with Anko could have fucked something up. If anything were going to happen. I didn't even know if anything was possible. I knew that Sakura liked me as a friend, but as more...

"So, not denying it this time," Ino laughed. I still at the slip of tongue. "Come on, I already said it wasn't a bad thing. I mean you two are good together, albeit a bit annoying. But she laughs and smiles around you. ACTUALLY smiles and laughs which she doesn't really do that often," Ino's voice was soft as she spoke. Fuck it. I guess it was time to just admit it. I wanted her, and not just sexually I wanted her to be with me. Over the past few days, my thoughts kept going back to Hisako, but after I would always hear her scolding me. "Just be happy," she would sing-song in her irritated voice. Honestly, I have been happy when I was with her. It was as if she had brought color to my gray existence.

"I don't know if she would even want me," I say hesitantly. Ino scoffed at me.

"She probably doesn't," Ino snorted. I just sit there and raise my brows at that. Wasn't she was just telling me that we would be good together, then this? Was this girl playing some type of mid game? Well, she was a Yamanaka. I wouldn't put it past her. "No, I didn't mean it quite like that. What I mean is: she had a plan in her mind, and I am sure that you weren't in it. So, she will say that she doesn't, but the way she acts around you, she does. Listen, I know old billboard brow better than she knows herself. She probably has been telling herself the whole time that you have been here that she couldn't like you, but if you say that you want her... Weeeeellll, she is a sucker for romance," Ino laughed. I just sit there with my lips pursed. How did people do this shit? How the hell did Hisako do this? I mean, this felt like I was taking a long walk on a short pier. Dating, liking someone, and not just one night stands. Those were easy, but to open yourself up? To face the fact that someone may not want you, that was fucking hard.

"I'll take that into consideration," I said slowly as I placed my chopsticks down loosing all my appetite.

"Just relax. No need to stress out about it now. Let's just finish eating and move on to your sockets," Ino said through a mouthful. I just hum as I slouch down further into my chair and wait for her to finish.

The next two days were pure torture. Every moment I was alone, which happened to be an awful lot, I thought of what I was going to say once Sakura got back. I figured I might as well get it done as soon as possible. The day she comes back is when I would tell her that I have feelings for her. If I waited I wasn't sure if I could deal with thinking about this over and over and over and over again. I would go mad. It was best if I just went and got it done, one way or another I will know what to do and not be in this limbo. I had endless made up conversations with her, going both good and bad. I wanted her to come back but I also wished that she would stay away for a while. That I could find the perfect thing to say. The perfect way to say it, but nothing felt good enough. As slowly as the days moved, it was finally time for her to come back. I knew that her message said that she would be reaching the gates at noon, but I found myself sitting in a tree far too early in the morning and just waiting.

So, There I sat, my back and head up against a trunk while my leg rested on a branch. I sat there for a long while just listening to the village and occasionally feeling for her chakra. The sun was warm on my skin and on my clothes, but the air was crisp with the fall wind. Sighing I shifted my weight as I sent my chakra out once again. Still nothing.

It was past noon when I finally felt her chakra coming up on the path. I didn't move from my spot, though. Oh how I wanted to, but I didn't want to come off as too eager. So, I stayed in my position and waited for her to approach me. Simultaneously I felt relief and dread. It was an odd combination and it wasn't a feeling that I was enjoying at all. I took in a deep breath as I feel her chakra move into the gates, there was a moment when she stopped, but soon she was walking over to the tree in which I was perched.

"Hey up there," she sang, and I couldn't help the grin that spread on my face. I could feel my heart clench in my chest just at the sound of her voice. Clearing my throat as I turned my head down.

"Hey down there," and there must have been something or someone out there that was watching over me because my words came out how the usually did.

"So you plan on staying up there all day? Or..." I heard her yell. Turning my body I grin down at her before letting myself fall to the ground.

"Na, there's a pretty rhino that I was planning on hanging out with," I said as I walked up to her. She laughs her delicate chime like laugh at my words.

"Ah, found someone one while I was out?" She continued to laugh as she grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. I snorted as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't think there are any other rhinos in Konoha," I chuckled as she released me. Without even thinking my arms unwrapped from around her and moved to cup her cheeks. I just wanted to feel her smile. My fingers brushed over her features as she stilled under the touch. I softly ran them up to her forehead and running them over her brow bones, over her eyes, tracing her nose, and then lips. The edges of her mouth were still raised as I felt her cheeks raised from her grin. Once more I move my fingers to brush over her lips. As I dropped my hand from her face I could hear her take a shaky breath in. I bit down on my lips slightly before I smirk at her hesitantly. "I'm sorry," I breathed as I stand still in front of her waiting for her response. Perhaps I had already overstepped? The air was silent as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Finally, she let out a small laugh.

"It's ok. I didn't think that you would miss me that much," she said in a tone that I had never heard from her. If I was honest, she suddenly sounded younger than she had just a few moments ago. Licking my lips I smile at her.

"Well, I have grown accustomed to having you around Turtle-kun," I shrugged as I placed my hands in my pockets. She let out a hesitant laugh before wrapping her arm around mine.

"I think that it's time to head home. There is nothing I want more than a shower," she said happily as she began to guide me down the path.

"How about some tempura?" I ask as I pushed my shoulder into her. I hoped that my smile is as sly as I thought it was in my head.

"Oh, yes. A shower then tempura. That is how every mission should end," she laughed.

While we walked to her apartment she told me of her mission. Actually, she just kept on talking... and talking really fast. I wondered if all the sudden I made her nervous because the way she just kept rambling wasn't something she normally did. I didn't say anything, though, I just let her keep on talking. It seemed that the mission went smoothly, minus the face that guy kept on hitting on her; trying to buy her affection. Every time she would bring it up all I could do was scoff. I knew that Sakura wasn't the type of person who could be easily bought off. I mean if the man was really serious, he should have offered to fund a new wing of the hospital or something like that. Not offer money or jewels to her personally .

"Oh, it is so nice to be home," she said as she flung open the door to her apartment. The moment we entered she let her arm fall from mine as she quickly stepped in and dropped her packs with a loud thunk. I sighed at the feeling of her body and heat moving away from mine. "Alright I am just going to hop in the shower and get into some more comfortable clothes," she yelled back as she made her way into the hall. I didn't even try and hide my smile. I wondered if she knew a few of the scenes in the Icha Icha series started with that exact line. From the other room, I heard her rustling in her room as she gathered what she needed. That was followed by the soft sound of the bathroom door closing as I made my way into the kitchen. I gather all the ingredient necessary for the tempura and begin to prepare the meal. Not that I really needed to cook, her fridge was full of ready-made dishes.

She came out of the bathroom and the moist air pulled the fragrant scent of her body wash out with her. I raise my hand acknowledging that she was back in the room as I set the last of the shrimp in the fryer. Once that was set I turned to the other side of the kitchen as I heard her pull a chair out to sit on it.

"Feeling better?" I ask as I began to whisk the sauce. She lets out a gentle hum. I try and just focus on what I am doing because the more I think about what I want to talk to her about, the more my mouth dried and the more difficult it was becoming to swallow. Though, cooking went much faster than I was anticipating.

"Much, it is always so nice to be able to wash after a long trek," She sighs. I hum back at her as I place the sauce into the dipping cups. I finally move to place the food onto the plates, after straining the shrimp from the oil. With the last piece plated, I took a deep breath and began to walk to the table. I placed hers down in front of her, she makes a content sigh as I begin to sit down.

Well, I didn't know how to go about this. So we sat for a while in silence. I ate slowly as I listened to her hum and sigh as she ate. When I should I say the words? Do you wait for a specific time? How would I know it is a good time? Or do I just go ahead and say it? I tried not to frown as I move the food on my plate. She lets out a long sigh and I lift my head in her direction. Taking a deep breath, I place my utensils down. It is now or never.

"Sakura," I said slowly as I shift in my seat. She lets out a hum as I take another deep breath. "There is something that I would like to talk about," my voice and words are still hesitant. She is quite for a moment, and I wish that she would just say something. Hell, I also wished that I could see her right now.

"Okay.." She said slowly. "You're not going to leave are you?" She asked softly. I shook my head as I let out a breath.

"No, I am not planning on leaving anytime soon," I say as I try and give her a reassured smile.

"Okay, then what is wrong?" Her voice is still soft as she asks Again my head is shaking, and I really just want to reach out for her hand, but the only problem is that I don't know where her hands were.

"Nothing, there is nothing wrong. I promise you," I say to her. And just as I am about to open my mouth the sound of her door being thrown open and heavy footsteps running into her apartment. I had to bite my tongue at the fact that some people have the worst timing ever.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled as he made his way in. I frowned as I sank down further into my chair. Great, of course, some one would just pop up because why should this be easy? Well, I guess this wasn't easy.

"Jeeze Naruto," Sakura said as the boy ran into her. "You don't have to come running in here like an excited puppy every time I come back from a mission you know," she yells as I hear her push him back.

"Aww, well I just missed you," Naruto whined. "Anyways, it's not just because you came home, but I wanted to see you before I left. I am leaving in a few hours for Suna and I'll be there for about five weeks. You know that I didn't want to leave without seeing my favorite female teammate," Naruto laughed as he pulled a seat down. "Sorry, didn't know you guys were going to be eating. It looks and smells reeeeaaal good," he said. I just sigh I knew what was going on because over the course of the last few days whenever the man would show up and I was eating or making food he said the same thing. He wanted some.

"You want me to make you a plate?" I ask and try to keep the irritation out of my voice. Really, this shouldn't bother me. He had every right to stop by at her place, it was just that his timing was so incredibly horrible.

"Is there enough. I mean I don't want to impose..." Naruto said slowly. I just sighed again and shook my head.

"There should be more than enough, and if there isn't there is a ton of food in the fridge," I say as I stood from my chair and begin to walk into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Sui! You really are a great guy!" Naruto yelled back at me. I just raise my hand and wave at him as I begin to gather his meal.

Naruto stayed for a few hours and ate most of the food that I had made. I guess I didn't have to worry about all the food in the fridge going to waste if he was around. The man talked excitedly about his upcoming mission. Well, I really don't think it was much of a mission as it sounded that he was just going to hang out with the Kaze. Made sense really, the two of them probably understood each other the best, seeing as one still contained a spirit, and the other had grown up with one also. I forced myself not to get irritated. It wasn't like Naruto knew what I wanted to do that day and it wasn't like as if he was trying to block me. If it was Kakashi, then I might have thought otherwise. So I just sat and listen to the two talk. Eventually, Naruto left and I found myself in the kitchen cleaning the dishes. Actually, I was trying to find anything that would keep me occupied and not have me focusing on the fact that my heart felt as if it was in my throat. As I was drying a dish Sakura strolled in with a small laugh. I turned to her and raised my brow.

"Something funny?" I asked as I placed the dish away. She responded by giving another laugh.

"It's just watching you today. I mean when Naruto burst in and you offered him a plate like it was completely normal. Like, he had just walked into your home," she giggled as she came further into the kitchen and leaned against the counter right next to me. I could feel the heat from her body and smell the lingering scent of her body wash.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to act like this was my home," I say as I slowly close the door to the cabinet and turn in her direction.

"No, I didn't mean it like it was a bad thing," she laughed as she patted my arm. "No, I am happy that you feel like you are at home. It's good. Also seems you are getting along well with Naruto." I nod my head.

"Yeah, well your whole team tends to pop up at all hours, so I have got to know them well," I said as I scratched the back of my head.

"Even Kakashi?" she asked slowly. I smirk as I hum at her.

"Even Kakashi. He actually has been pretty polite lately," I shrugged as I turn to get another dish to dry. Frankly, I didn't want to speak of Kakashi because the sudden shift in behavior had me on edge. There was nothing I could do about him then wait to see if something would bubble over. I was sure that when it did, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"That's good," She said happily. "I don't know what his issue was in the first place, but I am glad that he got over it. I really hate when the people that I care for don't get along. I get enough of that in my family, don't need it with my friends." I hum and nod as I placed another dish into the cupboard. "So... Ummm, what was it you wanted to talk about? I mean before Naruto just came in here," her clothes made rustling noises as she shifted her weight. I wanted to freeze, but I forced myself to keep on moving. To keep on cleaning the dishes. I place the last one away before turning to her and attempting to smile at her.

"I think I want to take a walk. How about you?" I asked. At that moment I needed to do something while I talked to her and walking would keep me from fidgeting. I waited for her to reply.

"Yeah, sure we can go on a walk," she was unsure as she spoke but I just smiled at her.

So, we walked in silence for a few moments, I was once again debating on how to talk with her. I could tell that she was also a bit anxious. I felt bad that she might have been thinking that I was stringing her along because I wasn't. No, I was just walking while I was trying to swallow the massive lump that was in my throat.

"Soo..." Sakura said as her pace slowed. I took a breath in.

"So," I replied.

"Come on, don't do that. What did you want to talk about?" She snorted. I pulled my bottom lip in as I chewed it lightly. Ok, here we go. I coughed to clear my throat as I feel my heart began to race. I slow my pace as I began to force to words out.

"Ok... I did.. I do want to talk to you," Gods, why was it so hard to form words? Why was it so hard just to get this out. I sigh heavily as my shoulders begin to drop.

"Is is that bad?" She asked with a shaky voice. I dryly laugh.

"Depends," I replied.

"On what?"

"You."

"Me?" She asked. Her voice is surprised and she came to a complete stop.

"Yeah, on you," I smiled as I rub my cheek turning to her.

"Okay."

"Okay, here we go," I say as I sigh. Her arm was still wound in mine, so I reached up with my free hand and placed it over hers. I grasp her hand and gave it a small squeeze. She gave my hand a small squeeze back. "Listen, Sakura, I like you," I forced the words past my lips. In my hand, I could feel hers stiffen as I waited for her to say something. She didn't. We stood in silence for a few moments. It felt as if hours had passed as I stood with her hand in mine. I could feel as her pulse beat hard against her skin. I shifted on my feet, and I couldn't take the silence anymore. I was about to speak when she softly cleared her throat.

"You like me?" she said slowly. I swallowed thickly as I numbly nod my head. "Well, I like you too..." Those were the words that I wanted to hear, but not in that tone, and not with her hand so ridged under mine. I lower my head as I lick my lips.

"No... I don't think you get what I was saying. I like you. When you are around I am happy. When you left, I felt lost. It wasn't because I was lonely or bored, but it was because I really wanted you to be here. I mean, for so long I have just been surviving, I put on a fake smile and laughed a fake laugh with my family. I might have even thought that it was real, but they weren't. All those smiles and laughs were veneers. It wasn't until you came. I mean not at first, I couldn't get away from you fast enough," I cringe as I mouth vomit but I couldn't stop. I couldn't deal with the silence. I couldn't deal with the questions in her voice. "But, now it is like there is a brightness in my day. I laugh and I play with you. I haven't had that in so long. When I think about not having you around actually makes my chest feel like there is a weight in it." I grasp as my chest. All I can do now is stand there and wait for her to say something. There was another pause and it made me want to curl up in a hole.

"Oh," Sakura sounded after a moment. "Well... Thank you." Thank you. That's what she said. Thank you. I shifted my weight. I didn't know what to say now. I had just placed everything on the table and the only thing that she said was thank you. I wasn't stupid, I realize that there was a good chance that she wouldn't return my feelings... but I didn't know what to do with this.

"Okay," I finally say. I began to let her hand go but she attempted to grasp it again. "Um, I think I want to keep on walking. I am sure that you are tired perhaps you should go home and rest," I forced myself to smile as I pulled my hand away from her. I taking a step back as I unwrapped my arm from hers.

"Sui.." She reached out and grabbed onto my upper arm.

"It's fine," I continue to smile. "You know what, forget what I said. It really doesn't matter," my face begins to ache from the wide smile. Not even waiting for her to reply I walked away.

I walk through the village for hours. Berating myself the whole time. What I fool I was. I knew she could turn me down or away, but I thought that there was something there. Now I had nowhere to go. I just wanted to go home now, more so than ever. I was also kind of fucked. I had wandered into an area that I wasn't well acquainted with, it was also late and it had seemed that the streets had emptied. Sighing I find myself sitting on the roof listening to the crickets chirping. Their songs begining to slow as the temperature began to drop.

I screwed everything up. I mean, I was supposed to be here for her to work on my eyes, now I had gone and made everything awkward. How was I going to talk to her now? Hell, how was I going to keep living with her.?I frown as I lay back on the ceramic tiles. It will be okay. I mentally shook myself, while it felt as if everything was falling down I could get through this. I had survived much worse. I bite down on my lip as I remind myself that I had seen the death of my clan, the death of my brother and sister, the death of my love, getting turned down wasn't the worst. It hurt, though. It hurt much more than I thought it would. I let out a dry laugh.

"Hisako, you were a brave girl," I say as I tilt my head to the sky. Not only had she bared her heart, she did it for years and I just let her. How was she able to do it? Probably because she knew what I was going to say, but still there was still a chance that it wouldn't go as she wanted. Well, perhaps that was it for me. I had my happiness, maybe it was all I got. I didn't even deserve it the first time, why would I get a second chance?

"Talking to yourself? It can be a sign of genius, or of insanity. I wonder which it is for you," A deep voice said. I curse myself for not feeling his chakra approach.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask flatly.

"Well, I live in this apartment complex. Was kinda surprised to sense you when I came home," Kakashi said as he walked over and sat down next to me. The gods of luck must really be laughing at my life. I just raise my arms covering my face as I let out a sigh.

"So, I take it you are not here to see me?" he chuckled.

"No," my response came out muffled through my arms. He hummed his reply next to me. I don't even bother to respond to him or move my arms from my face. I should have gone to a training ground, found a tree or maybe a deep hole to lie in. So there we were. Me, lying there trying to ignore everything and Kakashi doing whatever the hell he was doing.

"Why are you on my roof?" Kakashi finally asked. I pursed my lips as I tried to think about what I should say to him.

"I went for a walk and got lost. There really aren't that many people out to ask for directions back, so I ended up here," I say as I let my arms fall to my sides. He hums at me again.

"Do you want me to show you the way back?" He asks. I bit my tongue as I turn my head towards him.

"What is up with you?" I sigh as I sit up. Kakashi just sat there and didn't a noise. "Seriously man. I mean why aren't you trying to kill me? Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. Getting lightning through my body doesn't seem like something that I would enjoy. But you have been decent to me. You helped me at Sakura's family, actually said kind words and now you are offering to help me back. This is coming from the man that wanted to kill me the first time we met."

"Ah, well I am trying to take a page out of Naruto's book," he laughed. I didn't it wasn't amusing to me at all.

"So you don't think that I am a threat now?" I ask as I raise a brow.

"No, I think that you may be, but I am not going to be so rash. I am watching you. You haven't done anything yet to hurt the people that are important to me, so I am letting you be. If you do anything though I will be the first in line to get you out of here. There is also still something about you, though, something that I feel like I should know but don't," He said. I just sit still. That's because he does somewhat know me. Well, he probably knows me by name and for being in the Uchiha clan. I just grunt at him. Well, it was a little bit of a relief knowing were I stood with him, not that I liked the idea of him watching me, but what else was there to do. "Anyways, want me to show you back to Sakuras? I know that she is back in the village. I am sure that she is worried that you are out here," He said as he stood. Probably just wanted me out of here. I get it, I probably put him on edge as much as he put me on edge.

"Sure," I breath out and stood.

I follow him through the village without much words exchanged. At first, I was relieved once he got me to the door and quickly left. But then again Sakura was inside. I could feel her. The relief was replaced by anxiety. Well, it's not like I don't know what the outcome will be. So taking a deep breath I found the knob and slowly began to turn it. Slowly I opened the door. I enter the apartment quickly wiping feet trying to not make any noise. Sakura's chakra was muted and I hope that she is asleep, but it can also mute as one meditates. So... it was a 50/50 shot. I wrap my chakra and move as quietly as possible through the apartment moving to my room.

"Sui," Sakura says quietly as she opens her door. I curse under my breath before I turn to her.

"Sakura," I breath her name.

"Listen, I want to talk to you. I don't think that I handled the earlier situation right," she said softly. I run my tongue over my lips as my brow furrows. I don't think I can handle this speech. I didn't want to hear the: we will always be friends thing. Not that I had experience with it, but I had heard it enough from the women that Koji would chase after. I just shake my head at her.

"Sakura, it's fine. I said just forget about it. I get that you don..."

"Would you shut up!" she hissed as she poked her finger into my shoulder. "I mean really here I am trying to tell you something but you just want to keep talking over me!" My mouth drops open as I am forced to take a step back as she pushes me.

"Okay," I said dumbly.

"Alright. Now what I was going to say is that you caught me off guard. I didn't really know what to say to you. The thing is that I have liked you since I met you. I have been interested in you since then, and it wasn't because of your eyes. There was something about you," she started off angry but slowly her words began to soften.

"I wasn't nice to you when I first met you,"I frown.

"I KNOW! I mean you were short with me and pushed me away. But you know what? I watched you with your family, with the other people in the inn, with the keepers in the village you took me to and you were warm and funny. I mean, I didn't get it. I didn't get why you were so abrasive with me. I mean, at first, I thought it was because we fought when you first say me. I thought that maybe you felt bad," she came closer and once again I could feel the heat of her body radiating. I jumped as I felt her reach out and take my hand in her. They were warm and I could feel her pulse racing. "But, slowly you got better with me. You started to talk to me. Then suddenly you would flirt, and I figured it out. That you were using it as a distraction as we spared. It was a good move," She laughed. I smiled weakly at the sound. "But after the spar, you were back to how you usually were. I thought that's fine, at least he is being more personable with me. It wasn't until we went out to the bar and you kissed me that I figured it out. You didn't want to be around me because I reminded you of her... Hisako... Right? Because I am not a replacement. I am not her," She whispered her name. I couldn't help but frown. No, she was nothing like her. I shook my head as I tighten my grip on her hand.

"No. You aren't anything like her," I had to laugh as I thought of Hisako acting like Sakura. "If anything you are her polar opposite," I smiled as I let go of her hands and cup her face.

"But you said.."

"Your laugh sounds like hers did and there are times that your chakra reminds me of her. It has the same breezy feeling. That's it. She was quite, calm and gentle. And you," I could feel her frown under my fingers. "You are like a rhino," I grin as she pushed my hands off of her face and scoffed.

"A rhino?!" She yelled. "You are telling me how you feel and you call me a rhino! Before you said I brought color into your life!" She scoffed. I couldn't help the smile that stayed on my face. I reach out and hold her face in my hands again.

"But you are a beautiful rhino," I say as I lower my head to hers. I can hear her take a breath in so that she can yell and protest, but before she could say anything I cover her mouth with mine. She stilled and stiffened a bit under my touch, and I didn't know if I had crossed a line. Soon her mouth is pressing against mine as her hands begin to knot in my shirt as she pulled me closer. My heart was pounding against my chest, so much so that it felt as if it would explode. I moved one of my hands to the back of her head, winding my fingers in her hair. She let out a soft moan as I let my tongue run down her lips. She reacts instantly. She opened her mouth and let me in. My lips and tongue brush against hers. I felt as if I was drunk. She was making me feel as if I was floating on air. My other hand drops from her face and slowly goes down her side. Under my fingertips, I can feel her shutter lightly at the touch, but she keeps on kissing me as deeply as I was kissing her. This moment I knew that all that mental torture I had put myself through was all for nothing. This was heaven. The way she sighed as I let my fingers stroke over her hip, the moan she let out as I moved my mouth from hers to her chin, down her throat, to her earlobes was the most beautiful sound that I had heard in a long time. I know I could get lost in her and I was more than happy to let it happen, as long as she was with me.

Our weight shifts and suddenly Sakura's back was against a wall, her hand was lost in my hair, giving it small tugs of pleasure here and there. My hand slowly moved from her hip to the plane of her stomach. I spread my fingers out memorizing each curve of her body and every shutter and twitch she makes. It was as if the movement was music under my hand. My mouth moves from her neck back to her mouth. I press my lips to hers once again as I took in her bottom lip and began to suck on it. She gasped as the sensation and I couldn't help but smile as I move back into the kiss. Those noises, they made my whole body thrum and I wanted to hear her make them over and over again. The hand that was in my hair moved to hold onto my shoulder. It ached, the girl really doesn't know her own strength, but it also made my blood pound faster. She wanted me. She wanted me like I wanted her. My grip tightened on her as our tongues danced together. The hand that was on her stomach moved to her hip, then her rear, down to her thigh. She may not have been as well endowed as Ino in the chest area, but more than makes up for it with other features. My hand goes over the material of her nightgown and I was more than happy to find it was short. My fingers left the cool silky material to meet the warm smooth skin of her thigh. Her skin felt so amazingly soft. Wrapping my fingers under her leg I lifted it so I can push my body even closer to her. She gasps at the action as I spread open-mouthed kisses on her jaw line, my tongue relishing in her taste. She felt so small against me, her chest was heaving into mine as she took uneven breaths in. Through the material of her nightwear and my shirt, I could feel her nipples tightening and pressing against me. I move my mouth down her neck, as I stop and lightly such on her pulse point. She gave a throaty moan as she arched into my body.

I growled as I feel her core push against me. It made my heart race and my head dizzy, as I tighten my grip on her thigh and rolled my hips against her. The friction of the clothes and her against my already aching erection made me groan into her throat. I could feel her neck moving as she panted, her hands tightening once again before they found their way back to my cheeks. Pulling my head to hers she pulled my into another kiss as we continued to roll our hips into each other. My fingers slowly went under her dress, inching their way to her backside.

"Oh, gods," she breathed as we broke the kiss. Her breath fanned over my face as she panted. I began once again to kiss her throat moving down to her shoulder. Gently I nudged her hand from my face as I wanted to feel my lips over her entire body, not only her lips and her neck, I wanted to feel everything. Her hand fell from my face, gently running down the arm that was holding onto her thigh. When her hand met mine she gave it a gentle squeeze. "We should stop," she panted. At that I stop my ministrations, I try and take a deep breath, but my breaths were also coming out in pants as I rest my forehead on her shoulders. "If we keep going, I don't think I will be able to stop," she said through another series of pants. "And gods, I want to keep going, but I just don't think this is the right time. Not right now," she said as she wove her fingers into mine and lifted it away from her leg. Her thigh fell slowly, every inch that of skin that she brushed against me as she let it down felt as if it was on fire. Licking my lips, I try and regain my composure, but my body felt so hot and ached in a way that I haven't felt in a long time. I nodded into her shoulder as I slowly and reluctantly peeled myself off of her. I could still hear her breathing raggedly as I mourned the loss of her against me.

"Just that... that was amazing," she let out a light laugh. I could hear her shuffle. "But it's late and our emotions are all over the place. I want... When it does happen it is going to be amazing, I just can't right now," she said softly. I furrowed my brows as I took a step closer to her lifting my hand I place it on her cheek. Her skin was so warm, it felt as if she was burning. She was probably so beautiful when she was so flustered.

"Sakura, it's fine," I said gently. "If you want to stop, that it fine. Anytime you want to stop that is fine. I'll wait, not an issue. I don't want you to feel any pressure," I smiled at her. She let out another ragged breath.

"Thanks," she nearly whispered. I just smirk at her as my thumb traces her jaw. "It's late, and I have to get up early to give Tsunade her mission report, and not to mention I need to see what advancements were made with your eyes. I think it's best that I get to bed," she said as she covered my hand with hers. I nod to her. "Thank you, Sui. I know it is a weird thing to say, but thank you for letting me in. Seriously, I don't think that I can get this dumb smile off of my face," she giggles. I grin back at her.

"Good, smiling suits you," I grin at her. She laughed back at me as she pulled my hand from her cheek and moved it to her lips. She gently pushed her soft lips against my knuckles before letting me go. "Goodnight Sui," She said softly. I was still grinning at her. She wasn't the only one that wouldn't be able to get it off of her face.

"Goodnight Sakura," I say as I lazily take a step back. I stand there and listen as she slowly made her way into her room. I hear the door whine as she opened and closed it, followed by a soft click of the handle. Still smiling I walked into my room. I threw myself on the bed, stupid grin still painted on my face. My whole body felt as if it was vibrating. There was nothing more that I wanted to do then to stand and fist pump the air as I let out a scream. That probably wouldn't be appreciated by Sakura and her neighbors. So I just lay there letting this dizzying awesome sensation run over and over my body.

I lay there for a few more moments before I hear Sakura thudding on the wall. "Sui," Her muffled voice came through the wall. I turn my head towards the noise as I let a brow raise.

"Yeah?" I yell back.

"Umm, if you need to... be sure to use the bathroom. I mean I don't want your DNA all over those sheets," She laughs/yells through the wall. For a moment all I can do is let my mouth fall open. Was she just? Yeah, she was... I laugh as I shake my head.

"Just go to sleep and don't worry about my DNA," I yell back. There was a second of silence before I can hear her laughing.

 **Hello... Man I really suck at trying to keep a schedule. There always seems to be some type of excuse. Well, the excuse is life. I had to have a surgery so I really wasn't in a good mood for a while, and pretty drugged for a while. I am fine and am healing, thought it was a bit scary. Be sure to tell the people that are in your life how much they mean. You never know when your clock will strike midnight.**

 **Ok some fun facts that I forgot to place in the last chapter. So Sakura's mother and grandmother are really inspired by people in my life. Her mother is based on my mother in law, who is not my biggest fan. She thinks that her son could have done better and should have stuck with someone of his ethnicity. She doesn't like the fact that I am a mutt. Now Sakura's grandmother is based on my Great Aunt who is 96 and hits on all her great niece's boyfriends/husbands. Though she isn't as interested in "breeding stock," she has said if she met them when she was younger they would have had to look out. Lol.**

 **Well, I hope you liked this one! Here they go down the romance rabbit hole. It had been a long time since I had to confess my feelings to anyone, but I remember being in the limbo of either or, I hated it and felt awkward the whole time. Well, I hope you have a great night and I can't wait to see you back for the next chapter. No promises when it will be back because I suck at regular updates :/**


	22. Chapter 22

**sexy time warning...**

I woke up with a smile already on my face. I honestly felt like a sixteen year old. Still grinning, I pull myself up from my bed and listen to see if Sakura was up yet. She wasn't, which was fine. She didn't sleep much before the mission and probably didn't sleep much during. So I stretch my body as I stand and make my way into the apartment.

Per our usual routine I started the coffee and began to make breakfast while I waited for her to wake. I smile as I feel her presence come into the kitchen just as I am flipping the omelettes. She walks up behind me and wraps her small arms around my waist, her nose nudges the base of my neck before she places a soft kiss.

"Good morning," she says as her warm breath fans over my skin. This felt like it was something that we had done a hundred times, but it was the first time she had embraced me like this. I turn my head in her direction, a lazy smirk playing on my lips.

"Morning. Hungry?" I ask as I shift my weight to grab a plate. I can feel her hair brush against my skin as she nods.

"That is a silly question, I can always eat," she laughs as she releases me and takes the plate from my hand.

"Coffee is done also," I say as I begin to plate my own.

"You really are a god send, ya know that," she sighs. I hear her opening her cabinet to procure a mug.

"So I have been told," I say with a cocky smile as I walk to the table. She clicks her tongue as she places two mugs down in front of us.

"Not full of yourself in the slightest, are you?" She giggles as she sits across from me.

"Oh? Me? Never. I think that I am the very definition of humble," I say as I begin to eat my eggs. She just snorts across from me.

"Sure whatever you say, Sui-chan."

I was relieved that nothing much had seemed to change. Yeah, the added touches were a big bonus. Frankly, I didn't want her to stop touching me. I knew there was a chance that we would go through an awkward phase. I had witnessed it with Koji and a few of his girlfriends and had read about it in some of the Icha Icha books. But everything seemed to be falling perfectly in place.

"Ok, well, we missed your socket therapy yesterday," Sakura sighed. "It should be fine but I may want to extend it today. Though, that will have to come later. I have to run to the Hokages tower and give my report. I also need to check in on the progress of your eyes. I would say that you should come with but I think it will be horribly boring. I mean I have to talk with Tsunade about mission stuff so you would have to wait in the sitting area. Then I am sure she will want to talk full on medical jargon about your eyes," she sighed as she sat back down at the table.

"Sakura, it's not a problem. I had survived for days with out you here. I am sure I will be fine for the morning," I say as I yawn. "Anyways I didn't get much sleep last night, so maybe I'll just go back to bed."

"Oh, you couldn't sleep. Are you feeling well? It wasn't because of pain was it?" Immediately her hands were on my face checking my temperature and probing my skin with her chakra. I shake my head as I pull her hands away.

"No, I feel fine. Great in fact. It was just that yesterday had a lot going on. It took a while to wind down," I smiled at her.

"Oh, you took you a while to wind down did it?" She laughed as she patted my arm.

"No.. not like that. Geez and you are the one that calls all your teammates pervs," I snort as I take my hand away from her.

"Well, I had to learn it somewhere right?" She said lightly as she stood from the chair. "Anyways, do you need anything while I am out?" She asked as she ruffled my hair.

"Na, I think I am good," I answer. She hums before leaning down and placing a kiss on my cheek. I smile as I reach for her wrist and pull her back and cover my lips with hers. She makes a squeak of surprise before she began to move her lips against mine. I smile into the kiss as I can taste the sweet coffee on her lips before she hesitantly pulls away.

"Nope. Let's not start all that business otherwise I won't be leaving," she sighs as she takes a step away.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" I smirk in her direction.

"For me personally, no. But for my mission report and checking on your eye, yes," she laughs as I can hear her clothes shuffling as she pulls on her packs. "I'll see you in a few hours, Kay?" She asks. I hum as I nod to her.

After taking a quick shower I find myself throwing myself onto my bed. I really shouldn't nap but there really wasn't anything better to do. So there I lay just waiting for sleep. Well, sleep that wasn't going to be coming any time soon as there was a knock on the door. I groan as I turn my head in the direction of the noise. Nobody ever knocked at Sakura's. Another series of knocks rang as I pulled myself out of bed.

"Sui-kun open up! I know you are in there!" Ino yelled. Sighing I shuffle to the door and open it.

"Ino," I greet as I lean against the door frame.

"Oh, don't you Ino me ," she said as she pushes past me.

"Why did you knock? You have never knocked," I ask as I shut the door and follow her into the living room.

"Ah, just trying to be polite. I haven't been here in the morning and I didn't know if you were walking around bakyed or something," she said flippantly as she flops down on the couch. I still for a moment and wonder if someone had seen my naked time excursion. For the briefest of moments I think about asking Ino about it, but I have a feeling that when she got her teeth into something like that, she would be like a dog with a bone. So I decided to let the comment pass.

"Nope... not naked. Just trying to sleep," I say as I take the seat next to her. "Though if you are looking for Sakura she has already left to meet with the Hokage," I yawn as I lean back into the couch.

"Oh, I know," Ino chirped happily. Too happily.. it made me raise my brow.

"You know," I say slowly.

"Yep. I know because she ran into me on the way there," she said. She sounded as if she was preening with delight over something. "I also know what happened last night." Of course she would know. The girl knew everything that happened in the village. Once I got my sight back I wouldn't be surprised to see if she did indeed carries a crystal ball around.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Yeah... that's all you are going to say?" She huffs. I cringe a bit as I rub the back of my neck. Is this gossiping? I mean I never have been a person to run and have to tell what I did to someone. Or was this girl talk? If that was the case was I now indoctrinated into Ino's circle of girls? How would that work? I am not a girl and I am kinda dating her best friend.

"Okay. Well, here is what Sakura told me. She said you gave her a speech that you liked her then you called her a rhino. A rhino, Sui! You told the girl you liked that she was a fucking rhino? " I pull my lips in as I listen to her berate my choice of words. I mean, when she put it like that it came off as.. weird? But that is how we are. "Now, I am not one to meddle in the affairs of others," she breathed. I do not believe that for a moment. "But I think you may need some help with this whole dating thing. I mean, I told you the girl likes romance and you call her a two ton, blind, horned beast," she continues to chide me.

"I did say that she was a beautiful rhino," I say as I clear my throat.

"Is there even such a thing as that?" She asks in a exhausted tone. I just shrug because at that I didn't have a clue. "But you should probably lay off the Rhino thing... Though she did smile like a freak when she told me." Yup not going to stop calling her Kitten, Turtle or Rhino. "So now what's your plan?" She asked. I frown. Plan for what? I mean I told her I liked her, and now we are seeing were things go. Wasn't that plan enough?

"Plan?" I repeat the word slowly.

"Oh my God's. You are worse then Sai was. I mean at least he read books about how to date," she snorted. "I thought you had a fiancé, didn't you go on dates?" The frown remained my face as I raised a brow. Dates? What constitutes as a date? "You didn't did you?" She asked in awe.

"We uhh, we worked alot. I mean we would hang out in the evening. She would read me books. We uhh, would go to the village together. We trained..." I said awkwardly.

"You really never have been on a date? I mean what about before you were with your fiancée? You didn't date anyone?" This just kept getting more uncomfortable.

"No... Not really. I met a few women at the bar..." I squirm.

"Well, that settles it then. I will set up a date for you."

"You really don't have to."

"Yes I do. Remember me saying Sakura was a romantic? Ok.. this is what is going g to happen. I will set everything up for you in five days. That should give me enough time to get everything ready. I will give you the details and all you have to do is ask her to go with you. Forehead gets to be wined and dined and you get an example of what a date is really like," she says as she jumps up from the couch. "Five days got it? Now I am off to see what places might have a reservation open," she yelled to me as she made her way to the door. I hear her footsteps suddenly halt. "Do you know what you are going to say to her team?" I just raise a brow as I shook my head. "Ah, well you have fun with that. They can be a little nutty sometimes," she said before she left. I just remained on the couch, unsure of how I felt about the conversation I just had. I really shouldn't have opened the door.

Sakura came home a few hours later bouncing through the door.

"Guess what?" She said as she grabbed onto my hand, I could swear I could feel her vibrating through the touch.

"What?" I smile at her.

"I booked an O.R. for a week and a half from today," she bounced as she held onto me. I just smile as I can feel the excitement radiating off of her.

"An O.R," I repeat.

"Yeah, and O.R." She said back. "You're not getting this are you?" I just give her an unsure smile. "An operation room. In ten days I am going to be putting your eyes in," she squeals. My smile easily slides into a full grin as she pulls me into her body. This is it. There is a date to when I am going to be able to see again. Ten days. I can't help but keep on smiling. Then a small voice in the back of my head just had to speak up. This was the first time she was doing this. There is still a chance that it may not work. I shouldn't get my hopes up. Even though I try to not stiffen at the thought I fail. I know she can tell that something has changed.

"What's wrong," she asked as she pulled from the embrace. I just let out a sigh.

"What if it doesn't work. What if I just get eyes placed in my head and they don't work?" I ask softly. At that she snorts at me.

"This is going to work," she says in a steely voice. I frown at her and cock my head to the side.

"I am pretty sure that isn't something that doctors should say. Aren't they supposed to be the ones that say that there is always a chance that something could go wrong?" I smile half hearted. I feel her hand let go of me and move to my cheek.

"Technically yes, but I feel with every fiber of my being, and all my soul, that this WILL work. I got this," her voice wasn't as hard as it had been, but there was an overwhelming tone of confidence. "You've got to believe in me."

"I do, otherwise I wouldn't be here would I?" I say as I lean my head in to her hand

"Good," she says as she drops her hand from my cheek to grab my hand. "Well sir, we have missed your last therapy session and now is not the time to get lax about it, so shall we?"she asks as she pulls me into my room.

"Sure thing boss," I smirk as I follow her.

I almost forgot how good of a healer Sakura was. And I totally felt like a pansy for thinking there was pain in her other sessions, because her touch was much more tolerable then Ino's. Not saying that Ino didn't do a good job, but even she said that she didn't have the same chakra control as Sakura. It still was uncomfortable but I would take this any day.

We were nearing the end of the session and Sakura was humming to herself gently.

"Hey," I say slowly. She stops humming and I can feel her chakra still.

"Are you okay? I didn't do anything to hurt you did I?" She asked in a worried tone.

"No, not at all. Everything feels fine," I say with a small smile on my lips. "No, I was just wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me?" I ask the question slowly and carefully. This was how it was suppose to be done right? She lets out a small hum as her fingers and chakra begin to move again.

"A date," She repeats. "What would we do on this date?" She asks in a playful tone.

"We would do date stuff," I say in a breezy manner. I was hoping that she wouldn't figure out that I had no clue what "date stuff" was.

"And what is this stuff?" I nearly huffed in annoyance. I know it sounded stupid but I was hoping to be smooth at something, but appearently asking her on a date was not some thing that I was smooth at.

"Well, that would ruin the surprise wouldn't it?" I keep smiling. She hummed as she kept on working and a few moments passed when she didn't say anything. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked.

"Sure," she finally chirped. I exhale the breath that I didn't realize I was holding. "But now you need to be quite and still. I wouldn't want to do any damage because you moved," she said sternly.

"Sure thing Rhino-kun." I smile and let myself relax.

The days passed and everything was awesome and perfect. Nothing had changed much in our relationship. She was still so easy to be around and there wasn't anything awkward about being in a new relationship. That was a lie. There was a big change. Every time we were alone we couldn't get enough of touching and kissing each other. That was the most amazing part, just feeling her close to my body her skin under my fingers was like walking on clouds. The only draw back was that I had to deal with ill fitting pants more then I had in a long time. Though I suppose there were worse problems that I could have. Plus I wouldn't want to give up the lead up to such a problem.

There were a few times that I caught myself thinking that things were going too well, or that I was feeling too much too soon. I mean I liked her, I really really liked her. If I could be honest with myself I did love her, but in such a short amount of time? That wasn't usual was it? I wish that I had someone to talk with but I didn't know anyone that had been in a successful relationship. Noni was it, and she didn't like to speak of her past love. Yosh? Well, I wasn't sure if he was attracted to anyone.. Koji.. He was a bit of a man whore.. I try to think about my parents. They had a fierce love. I remember once my father saying that when you saw the one, you would know. The problem is I can't see, and I don't know if he was saying that just so my mother would allow him some more mochi. I mean, when I was young I remember seeing many of my clan in successful relationships, but I don't think that I saw one in the start up. I couldn't even really compare my relationship with Hisako as that was far more of an evolved relationship. I had loved her since we first talked, from there it branched out. I know for certain I didn't love Sakura right away.

I pushed those thoughts to the side though, and enjoyed the time that we spent together. Those were questions to leave when I was laying in bed trying to sleep. And enjoy each other we did. That was until the night that I took her out on an officail date.

There we sat in a quite restaurant with quite conversation and quite music playing in the background. I sat there awkwardly eating the horderves that came with some silly lovers special that Ino told me to get. I assume that Sakura was also eating, but to be honest I was also trying to make sure that I wasn't getting any food on the shirt that Ino had bought me. Which she informed me on several occasions that it was expensive. The fabric was soft against my skin, but besides that if just felt like a button up shirt.

"So you having a good time?" I ask as I lean closer to the table. It seemed that most of the occupants followed the soft talking rule.

"Oh, yes. This evening is very nice," she said in a tone that wasn't one she usually used. It was the same false tone that she used with her aunt and uncles.

"But?" I ask. There was a moment of silence before she cleared her throat.

"I mean this isn't really us... Not to say that there really is an us thing yet, but I just kind of feel as if we don't fit her," she sighed.

"I was told that this was the ultimate romantic place. Maybe it's the decor?" I ask as I shrug.

"Well it is nicely decora... Wait? Who told you this was the ultimate.. Oh, I know. This whole thing was set up by Ino," she says with a small laugh. I cringe a bit before nodding my head. "Makes sense, she has been trying to get Sai to take her here for months," she sighed. At that information I purse my lips as I didn't really have anything to add.

"Well, want to do something a little less stuffy after dinner?" I ask.

"And what would that be?"

"We haven't spared in a while."

"That we haven't," she said playfully.

"You game?"

"It's a date."

We finished out quite meal quiclkly and left to make our way to the practice fields. A little slower then we would usually since Sakura really had to guide me. Ino had informed me that I had to wear shoes and I couldn't sense a thing through the thick soles. So she kept her arm in mine, her other hand resting on my bicep. The moment we got to the training field she let me go and I slipped my feet from the stiff shoes as she marked that our field was occupied.

"Let's get this show going," she said as she took my hand in hers. Once we get in the center of the field I began to unbutton the dress shirt to take it off. I had to really concentrate not to get it dirty during dinner, so I sure as hell wasn't going to get it soiled during the spar.

"Oh, I didn't know that I got a show also," I could hear her laugh.

"Thank Ino for that, said that if I ruined the shirt she would make me pays in ways that I didn't want to think about," I smile as I fold the shirt and place it on one of the training posts.

"So she picked out where to eat, and your clothes?" She snorted. "When did Ino become your mother?"

"Uh, when you left to guide a rich man around," I say as I rub my hand over my arm to warm it. The air had begun to chill and I could feel my skin prickling in response. "She actually did set up a play date for me too," I think out loud.

"Oh... I am sorry?" She said slowly. I just shrug.

"Wasn't too bad," which it wasn't until I almost had sex with Anko. "Anyways we going to get started? Because if we don't soon I think I may freeze."

"Alright let's go. Tiajutsu only?" I nod at her and within a second she is coming after me.

The spar we had was unlike one that I had ever had. I don't even know if I would classify it as a spar. There was no rush to take each other down, there were no power plays, instead both of us would throw a punch or a kick while the other easily dodged it. It was like we were dancing and not fighting.

After a while Sakura went to throw a punch at my shoulder, but I easily intercepted and grabbed her wrist. In a quick fluid movement I pull her body to mine, her silky dress pressing cooly against my skin. I released her wrist and moved my hand to hers intertwining our fingers together, putting my other hand just above the small of her back. She made a small surprised noise, but was lax in my grip.

"What are you doing?" She breathed. I just smile at her.

"Dancing " I say as I began to rock to the silent music.

"Dancing? I thought you wanted to spar," she said with a light laugh.

"I did. But then I thought that maybe dancing would go better on a date," I say as I lower my head down so that she could feel my breath play against the shell of her ear. She laughs again as she wraps her free arm around my shoulder.

"This is a bit weird," she murmured as she rests her forehead against my shoulder.

"Yeah well, that could describe our whole relationship," I laugh as I begin to dip her. She once again makes that beautiful gasping noise as she lets her body bend backwards.

"Huh, I didn't think you were the kind of guy that liked to dance," she said breathlessly as she straightened herself.

"Hmm," I hum. "I don't really dance too often. But when I was younger I was forced to take classical dancing,' I say as I twirl her. she laughs as she spins.

"You have any other secrets up your sleeve?" She giggles as she came back to the embrace.

"Oh, I am a man of mystery," I smile as we begin to rock again. "But I will tell you one of my most highly regarded secrets of all time," I whisper against her ear. "I... Could... Make awesome flower arrangements," I smile. She pushes back and stills.

"Flower arrangements? Really?" She snorts. I just hum and nod. "Dancing, flower arrangements, and cooking. If you did laundry you could make an awesome wife," she laughs. I frown as I cock my head.

"My my Sakura-chan, that is mighty sexist. I mean just because I have a penis doesn't mean I can't do the finer things in life," I force a frown to cover up the smile that wants to creep up and shake my head. She stills under my touch for a moment.

"You called me Sakura-chan," she says in a breathy voice. I still my head as I cock it in her direction. Her hand leaves my shoulder and she places it on my cheek. "You should say it again," I can hear her smile as she talks.

"Sakura-chan," I say slowly.

"Yeah just as weird as the first time. It's a bit alarming how accustom I have gotten to you calling me Rhino, Turtle and kitten with the kun," she laughs.

"You'll always be my Rhino-kun, Sakura-chan," I smile as I lean into her touch. She lets out a breath laugh as she begins to stroke my cheek.

"You know you are so beautiful," she sighs. I cock a brow as I lick my lips.

"Isn't that suppose to be my line?" I ask as I cover her hand with mine.

"You can have it when you can actually see me. You never know I might be a frightening sea monster," she teases. I pull her hand from my cheek as I put her knuckles to my lips and kiss the tops.

"Impossible," I say as I kiss each ridge. "It would be impossible for me to think you anything but beautiful," I straighten her fingers as I kiss the tip of each didget slowly. I hear her take a a quick breath between her teeth.

"You never know..." She retortses half hearted.

"But I do," I say as let go of her hands and cup her face. "Because I already see you," I trace my fingers over her delicate features. "I see you. I see a woman who didn't give up on me when I was acting like an ass to her. I see a woman who radiates love and warmth, so much that people flock to her. I see a woman who is strong and loyal to her friends, I see a woman who wants nothing more then to ease the pain in the world. I see a woman with a soul that is kind and soft, but can turn into a storm at a moment's notice. I see a woman who makes me want to be better, to not just accept survival as a way of life, one that makes me want to laugh and enjoy living. I see a woman who I fear loosing as if air would cease to exist if she went away. That the sun would set to never show again. I may not know what your skin looks like when it is flushed, or what color your eyes are, but I see you. And you are beautiful." Well... I don't even know where that came from, but I didn't fight it one bit. I let the words just roll from my mouth.

Before I could even really think about what I said her mouth was on mine and her hands were tangled in my hair. The force that she brought me to her had our teeth hitting against each other. I could feel her push all of her emotions into the kiss as we deepened it. Her tongue slid against mine as she pulled me close to her body. At that moment there was nothing more that I wanted then to be closer to her, impossiby close. I ran my hand over her back smoothing the silky material of her dress as her hands fell from my scalp as she dug her fingers into the bare skin of my shoulders.

I broke the kiss so that I could trace my lips against her jaw. She panted and mewed at the action, her grip becoming tighter as I made my way down her neck, to her collar bone. I traced the ridge of it with light kisses as my hand reached up and took the thin straps of her dress between my fingers, and slid it off. Each inch it slid was followed by my lips. She arched into me, so much so that I placed my other hand in the middle of her back to keep her from falling back.

"Oh, come on!" I still as a voice shouts in the distance. "This is a training field for God's sake! Take that shit somewhere else!" They yell. I curse under my breath as I push the strap of her dress back as we release our embrace.

"Sorry!" Sakura yells sheepishly. She reaches for my hand and intertwines her fingers with mine. She gives my hand a tug as she goes about gathering our possessions mumbling to herself as she did. She quickly cleans the area and begins to make our way to the exit.

"How embarrassing," she sighs as we begin to walk home. I just laugh as I shake my head as I threw my shirt on not bothering to button it.

"Could have been worse," I shrug. Because in my perfect world I would have been making love with her right there. Now being walked in on during that... She sighed as she reaches out takes my hand once again and gave t a light squeeze.

"Let's get home," her voice was throaty as she spoke. I smirk as I move to interlace my fingers in hers.

"Sounds good to me," I say back. We didn't talk much as we walked back, but the whole time her thumb was stroking the top of my hand. I baske in the simple touch and the warm sensation of her skin on mine.

Once we get back to her apartment she doesn't let go of my hand, instead her grip becomes tighter as she leads me through the apartment and into her bed room. Once we were in she closed the door and guided me to the bed. I sit down and before I can even move I feel her place her knees on the outside of my thighs as her hand dip under my shirt and begin to push it off of my shoulders. Her head dips down to my neck as she begins to shower it with small kisses. I groan as I feel her mouth part open as she strokes her tongue over my skin. I slowly let my hands go to the knees that are on each side of me. My fingers glide over her smooth warm skin until I was grasping at her thighs. She moans under my touch, her breath fanning over my neck up to my jaw. Her lips soon follow her breath as her teeth scrape against my skin. She rocks her hips gently against me before moving her lips to mine.

The kiss is much softer then what we shared earlier. Her lips press against mine gently before she slid her tongue out to run over my bottom lip, her hands ghosting over the skin of my shoulder. I sigh as I let her in. Honestly I was a bit caught off gaurd with the way that she was taking control, but it was also a massive turn on. I would follow her lead, I have a feeling that I would follow her to the end of the earth. Her hands move from my shoulder as she traces her nails down my chest as she releases my lips and once more she was licking, kissing and sucking my jaw, my shoulders, my chest. Her hands grazed down and splay against my stomach as her hips roll torturously slow against me.

"Oh gods Sakura," I pant as I roll my head back. I can feel her lips move into a smile as she continues to assault my chest with her tongue. She shifts her weight so that she can go lower. Feeling her movement I lean back onto my elbows so she can have more access to me. Her hands begin to run up and down my side, making me jerk a bit as she her fingers tickled me.

"I didn't know that you were ticklish," She laughs as she adjusts her weight so that her head is closer to mine. I lick my lips as she grinds into me again.

"Just in a few places," I pant. She hums as she places her lips on mine.

"You need to go further back on the bed," she whisperers as she took my the lobe of my ear into mouth and stroked her tongue over it. I oblige her request as I push my weight further into the bed. She returned to her attention on my stomach, letting her lips drag as her tongue follows. I try and keep my breath even, but I was failing miserably. No, every time I had to exhale it come out shaky as she moved down lower. Soon her hands were on my hips, her fingers dipped under the edge of my pants. She kisses my hip as she slowly tugged the fabric down.

"Sakura?" I questioned as she pulled again, her mouth moving to the other side of my hip lavishing attention on it. She stopped for a moment, and her fingers loosened on my pants.

"Is this okay?" she breathed. I nodded immediately. I was fine with anything she wanted to do with me. I just wanted to make sure that she wanted to do it as much as I wanted her to.

"Good, because if I can make you feel a tenth as good as you made me when you spoke to me, I will be so happy," she murmured as her fingers tightened on my pants once more to pull them further down. Her lips moved from my hips to slowly trace down to my groan. Her hands brushed over my erection before encircling around me and softly rubbed up an down. Air hissed as I took a sharp intake of breath at the touch. I forgot how good this felt, to be touched like this. At the moment I didn't think anything could feel so good. That was until I felt her breath against my cock followed by the warm feeling of her mouth taking me in.

Her tounge swirled around the tip before she moves slowly down taking me further into her mouth. This was the sweetest torture that I ever had come across. I could barely catch my breath as she begins to suck down lightly, then slowly increasing her rhythm. My mind went blank as I tried to keep my composure together, which was getting more and more difficult as she continued.

"Sakura," I groan her name as I reach down and place my hand on her hallowed cheek. She slowly and almost painfully releases me as she lift her head.

"I am not going to be able to control my body if you continue on," my voice is shaky as I feel her smile into my palm.

"I can't have that," she breaths. "There are other things that I would like to do," She says as she crawls up my body as kissing my skin as she traveled.

"Yeah, you sure?" I pant as my hand drops down to her shoulder down her arm.

"Positve," she says as she places her mouth over mine. I can taste the salt of my skin on her lips and tongue as we kiss. My hand goes down to her side and I feel the cool fabric bunch under my hand.

"Why do you still have clothes on?" I ask into the kiss. I lean forward as my fingers reach for the bottom of her dress, she responds to my movement as she leans back so I can pull the fabric over her head. Once I had it off I threw it to the side and placed my hands on her hips. The edge of my pinky could feel the soft lace that her underwear was either made completely of or lined the top. I flex my hands to feel she skin and pause as I feel the bumpy edge of what I assume is a scar. She shivers under my touch as I smirk at the reaction. I lean forward and begin to kiss her again as my hand slowly goes up her side, feeling the indent of her waist, to the broadening of her ribcage. Soon the tips of my fingers brush against the edge of her breast. She groaned and must have become impatience as she placed her hand over mine and cupped her breast in my hand. She moans the most beautiful sound as she arches into me. My mouth moved from hers to place kisses from her jaw to her chest, until I find her hard nipple and take it into my mouth. She gasps as rocks into me as I run my tongue her peaked flesh, sucking it in harder into my mouth. That's when she says it. She breaths my name as her head falls back. It was probably the most erotic thing I have heard in a long time. Though there was a little voice in the back of my mind that wished I could hear her moan out my full name.

My hands go down to her ass as I grip onto her and pull her closer. In a swift move I place her on her back on the bed. She gasps in surprise at the sudden movement. Her legs immediatly wrap around my hips as her arms circle my shoulder. Gently I pull her arms off of me as I lean back onto my knees.

"Let me see you," I whisper as I cup her cheek. I smile down at her as I feel her nod. I run my hand down her neck, to her shoulders, down her arms and back up. My fingers move to her coller bone, up the small hills of her breasts, over the puckered skin of her nipples, down her stomach dipping in slightly into the creavis of her belly button.. Her skin ripples under my touch as she took in a shaky breath. I feel the flare of her hips, tracing the line of her hip bones , down to her the supple skin of her rear. I shift my position so that I could let my hands run down her toned legs. She lets out a small giggle as my fingers brushed the back of her knee. I smile at the sound.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who is ticklish," I smirk as I continue my exploration. She hums in agreement. My hands slides down her calf over the heal of her foot to the small digits of her toes that she splayed at the touch.

"God's, you really are so beautiful," I sigh as I lift one of her ankles up and place a kiss on the inside. She tenses a bit under my touch but soon she is sighing as my lips begin to travel up her leg. There is a small shake that begins as I begin to pass her knee. "So fucking beautiful," I breath into her skin. She begins to let out the most musical moans and sighs as I lick my way up her inner thigh. Reaching up, I let my fingers graze her panties happy to know that they were indeed all lace. Slowly my hand moves from her near her hips to her center. I continue to ravage the skin of the thigh as my thumb brushes over her clit.

Just with the small brush of my thumb her hip bucks up and a throaty moan leaves her. I can't but help but smile, if she enjoyed that small touch that much I couldn't wait to hear her moaning from what I was going to do next. I tease her a little but more as my lips move closer to her core slowly. My lips lift into a smirk as I begin to smell her aroused scent, it also sent even more blood to my almost painful erection.

Still moving slowly I pull her panties to the side before taking her clit into my mouth. I growl as the taste of her fills me. She tastes perfect, how a woman is supposed to. Her whole body convulsed as my tongue slowly and gently rubs against against her sensitive spot. I release it as I let my tongue run over her folds. She pants and moans as I continue to taste her. One hand gripping her hip, slowing down her thrusts. While I reached up to caress her breast with the other. I thought I couldn't possibly get more turned on from her sounds, scents and tastes. That was until I heard her coming close. I felt her thighs begin to shake as I move my attention back to her clit. The hand that was massaging her breast slowly comes down. Caressing her rippling stomach, hips and thighs before I turn my attention to her opening. I lazily roll my tongue over her clit as I slowly push my finger into her. She is so slick, warm and tight that for a moment I don't even know if I'll fit.

I rub my finger against her walls while I continue to lapping at her. Her whole body is vibrating as her hands come down and grasping on to my hair'.

"Oh God's Sui.. I am going to.." but before she even had a chance to moan out the rest of the sentence all of her muscles tighten as she moans through her release. Her inner wall clamp down on my finger. I couldn't stop myself. I had to get some type of relief to my cock. With the hand that was gripping her hip I reach down and slowly stroke myself until I feel her relax.

Smiling I cralw up her body littering kisses here and there. She is still breathing harshly has I come closer to her face.

"Holy fuck," she breaths out as I lay on top of her. I smirk as I nuzzle her neck. "No one has ever.. holy fuck," she breaths again. Suddenly I feel her grab onto my face as she kisses me deeply. Each time she breaths out I can smell the sweetness of her arousal in her breath. I am suddenly very aware that we are both naked and pressing up against each other as her hips lift up. I breath in sharply as I can feel the head of my cock rub against her.

"I need to feel you," she moans wantonly as she rolls against me again.

"You're sure?" I ask shakily. Her hair brushes against my arm as I am sure she was nodding, but I needed to hear from her.

"Yes, I want this," with that response I lower my self down and kiss her deeply as I slowly enter her.

She feels so fucking amazing. The warmth, the tight hold her muscles have on me, everything so so fucking amazing. She lets out a throaty sigh as I fill her. That noise.. the first moan when two lovers connect is indescribable. My pace is slow. I want this to last as long as possible. I want to feel her as long as possible. Gently I rock against her as her hips meet mine. I litter kissed all over her face and neck as I savor evey small movement. Though it seems Sakura is a bit impatient.

She mews under me while her hips thrust harder against me. Biting the side of my cheek I obliged to her demands and quicken the pace. Her arms are wrapped around my shoulder and her legs around my waist as I thrust into her.

I am thankful that she doesn't wish for my movement to go any faster because I can already feel the tightening in my groan. It feels as if I am on fire. It is as if we could burn the world with passion that is exchanged. Kissing her again I can feel that her body is covered in a thin veil of sweat. I can feel the moisture rolling down my cheek and falling on to her. It didn't matter, all that mattered was she was now moaning my name over and over again as she was becoming almost impossibly tight around me.

Her nails dig into my shoulder as she pulls me to close to her. She breaths raggedly under my ear until I hear the strangled moan leave her mouth as she pulses around me as she descends into her orgasm. I wish that I could have held out to give her another one, but the force in which her body shuttered around me caused me to fall soon after her.

We lay still for a moment, rough breaths fill the air as we basked in the euphoric feeling. Slowly I lower my body and withdrawal from her. Instantly missing the warm of her around me.i roll to the side of her wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her to me. I lay there with what I am sure is a stupid grin on my face.

"I knew that it would be amazing... But that went far beyond anything I had expected," Sakura said with a throaty laugh. I smile as I caress her stomach with my thumb. "I have never had a man that could make me...uh.. and you did it twice," she said as she turned over on her side to face me. I moved my hand to her hip and give it a light squeeze.

"I was actually hoping for one or two more, but I'm kind of out of practice," I smile to her.

"If that is you out of practice. I don't think I can survive a practiced encounter," she laughs as she shifts her weight forward and presses her forehead to my chest.A throaty laugh leaves me as my hand runs up and down her back.

"There are worse ways to go," I shrug.

"Oh, that would probably be the best way to go," she laughs.

My life was like a dream. I was afraid at any moment that I would wake up to realize that it was all fake. There is no reason that I should be able to find the bliss I was having now. Not after having it once. I worried that I didn't deserve it. I worried about what it meant that I felt this strongly about this woman when not too long ago I felt the same for Hisako. I worried about what I would do when it was time to go, how could I ever leave her. Though, I didn't share my anxieties with Sakura, instead I chose to bury them and make the most of what was happening in the present.

So the dream carried on and soon it was time for my surgery. I woke in the morning with this pit in my stomach. The next time I would wake up I would have eyes. I would be able to see. I was anxious, elated, and fucking scared. It seemed so stupid to be scared about seeing, but it had been my life for over a decade. Then there was still the nagging thought that this won't work. That I was counting my chickens before they hatched.

"Okay, you haven't eaten or drank anything in the past twelve hours right?" Sakura pushed her way into my room were I was still laying on my bed.

"Nope, not a thing. Though I could use a drink right now," I sigh as I roll over onto my stomach.

"Nervous?" She asks as she sits down next to me on the bed.

"A bit," I sigh out.

"Well it would be stupid to tell you not to be," she says as she begins to rub my back. "But you know that I am going to take amazing care of you, and I will be there with you every step of the way." I just nod my reply. "Well, we should get going we have all the pre op tests and prepping to do," she says as she smacks my ass.

The walk to the hospital was unusually quite. I was trying to calm my nerves and I am sure that Sakura was going over the procedure over and over again. I know because every few minutes she would mumble some type of medical jargon to herself.

We get to the hospital and Sakura takes me into the pre-op room. She introduces me to some of the other doctors and nurses but for the life of my I couldn't remember their names. They begin checking me out, checking my blood pressure and blood work that Sakura had taken a few days earlier. There was a lot of talk but I didn't really hear them. I was surprised that her team, minus Naruto, had come to wish her and I good luck, but she soon shooed them away when Sai started to ask awkward questions. After that Ino and her team also stopped by. It was nice to have them come by.

After all the well wishers left is when they began to poke and prod me.

"Shit," I cursed as Sakura put in the IV.

"I know it isn't the most comfortable feeling," she said as she began to secure the needle. I shook my head.

"No it isn't that. I have been... Uh, so distracted these past few days that I forgot to send a message to the inn," I sigh as I lean my head back.

"Oh," she says in surprise. "Well that is on me too. I should of reminded you," I hear her say as the chair that she was sitting on rolls away. "But we can take care of that now," there was the sound of papers flipping. "Let me know what you want to say, I'll write it for you then I'll send a intern to take it to the aviary," she says. I nod to her and instruct her to write the basics if what is happening

Once she finished being my amanuensis she calls in the intern to have them send it out. I take in a deep breath as I felt some small relief that they would know I was fine and looking forward to seeing them. Really seeing them.

"Okay, I have to go and scrub down so the nurses will be taking you in now," she says as she took ahold my hand. "You are going to do great I just know it," she leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. She pulls her hand from mine as she reaches up and pulls off my blindfold. "This will be one of the last times you need to take this off," she says softly but then begins to giggle. I frown, because a giggling surgeon doesn't really calm the nerves. "Sorry," she says with a laugh. "it's just that we are going to have to work on these tan lines of yours," she says as she runs a finger on the bridge of my nose down.

"I think tan lines are the least of my worries," I chuckle as I shake my head. She leans down and kisses my lips again. I can feel her smile into it.

"Ok, I have to get going. I'll see you on the other side," she said before leaving the room. A few moments later the nurses come in and wheel me to the operating room. There the anaesthesiologist was waiting with my cocktail of drugs. The man begins the drip as others begin to strap my body down. The last thing that I think is the fact that I didn't ask what color my eyes were.

 **We have eyes next chapter :) I know this one is a bit fluffy, but things aren't going to keep being easy for Shisui. Can't have that... Sasuke is coming... T-minus 2 chapters.**


	23. Chapter 23

I wake up not knowing where the hell I was or what the hell was going on. There is a massive pressure in my sockets and nasal cavity. I can't seem to care about that, because I don't know what's going on. I try and move my arms but they feel as if they weigh a thousand pound. Am I bound? I try and move still. I think my hand is moving, and what the flying fuck is this shit on my head. It's tight and uncomfortable. Have I been captured? But who would have captured me? And what the hell would they have put on my head? I try and shake my head, but it remains still. I try and think but everything is so foggy. I haven't done anything recently that would make me a target... Panic fills me as I think about Noni, Yosh and Koji. Are they ok? Where are they? I try to sit up, still everything weighs a too much. There is a hand that is pushing me down on my shoulder. Growling I try and reach up to push them back.

"Sui, relax," A calm voice says to me. Well, how the hell am I going to relax when I don't know what is going on? I try and yell at them, but my words come out as a series of slurs. "Relax," they say again and it just pisses me off more. "You are waking up from surgery. I need you to relax. I am here with you now. You are fine. Everything went perfect. Your eyes took immediately" they say. I try and take a deep breath in. A surgery? I finally notice the erratic beeping noises that are filling the air. "Sui, it's Sakura." The hand moves from my shoulder to my hand. Sakura? Sakura... Sakura..

The clouds that fogged my mind slowly begin to recede and I try to grip the hand in mine. Sakura... Surgery.. Eyes... I feel like the dots should connect but I just can't force them to. I fight to lift my other hand as I touch whatever is around my head. It's thick and soft, not my usual blindfold. Sakura... Surgery... Eyes...

"Sometimes it can be a bit confusing when you come out of anesthesia. You are fine. Today we placed the eyes that we have been preparing for months. Don't pull at the bandage," she says softly as her other hand grips my wrist and pulls it away from my face. "The surgery went perfect. Everything went perfect. I just need you to relax and rest right now," she takes my other hand in hers and places it in my lap. Sakura... Surgery... Eyes... I still can't put it all together. Before I even could find my voice everything blanks out.

It feels as if I have a hangover. My head is pounding, it's like someone slammed a rock into my head over and over again. I roll my head. Wrong move. The dull pain pulses harded. I wrinkle my nose, but feel a new sensation. It was almost as if the skin was pulled too tight. Groaning I lift my hand and try to touch the bridge of my nose, but am blocked by a thick bandage. Then it all clicks. Sakura.. Surgery.. Eyes.. It was done. I now had eyes under my lids. It was far more uncomfortable then I thought it would be.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch the bandage," Sakura sighs. "I don't care if you are still asleep, I'll have them strap you down to the bed," she growls as she shoves my hand away.

"I think that would be better if you were the one doing the tying," I croak out as I roll my head in her direction. I grimace a bit as the full pain roars through my head.

"Oh, you are really awake," She says in surprise. "Do you know what is happening?" I try and swallow, but I found my throat too dry. "Oh, here." Suddenly there is a straw placed in between my lips. I groan as I drink the water.

"I had surgery," I reply roughly after I had my fill.

"Yes! Good! We don't have to tell you that you're not in danger anymore," She laughs. "You are like a shinobi when you wake up, ya know. All defensive. The nurses don't want to come in here. I think that you gave one a black eye," she whispers. I frown but immediately more pain fills my head. "Are you in pain? If you are I can up the painkillers,"

"Yeah," I say as I reach to my forehead, but before I can touch it Sakura is once again holding onto my wrist.

"No touching," she chides. She places my hand back down on the bed then shuffles around. "Okay, I know that you just woke up but this may make you fall asleep again," she says as she busies herself with something. I just swallow as I let myself relax again into the bed. She was right, because after a few moments I was pulled under again.

I woke to laughing. There were a few people laughing and I don't know about what. The pain was still there but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was when I woke earlier. Grunting I begin to pull myself up.

"Oh, I think that he is really awake now," a woman... No, I knew this woman, Ino was here. "Welcome back sunshine. You know you are something when you are drugged up," She laughed again. I just cock my brow at her as I adjust my body.

"Ino, it's not his fault he was pretty heavily medicated," Sakura sighs.

"Wait, what did I do?" I ask groggily. I feel the bed shift and suddenly it is propped behind my back.

"Oh, you just kinda went on and on about how great Sakura is. That she is like an angel that came from heaven. That your parents would have loved her if they met her," Ino cackles. "I mean it was super cute, but it did make the rest of her team high tale it out of here pretty fast." Well... that was awkward. Really awkward, since she didn't tell her team that we are seeing each other. I guess the plus side is I don't have to worry about that conversation... I stiffen.. My parents.

"What did I say about my parents?" I grumble.

"Just that they would like me, that's about it," Sakura said with a small laugh. I wonder if I had embarrassed her. I frown, making my skin feel tight. "Seriously it wasn't that bad.. It was kind of endearing," she says as she grabs my hand. I sigh as I lean my head back. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got smashed in the face with a rock," I attempt to smirk. "But it could be worse."

"How bad is the pain from one to ten?"

"Five or six?"

"Okay good," she lets go of my hand as she scurries around the room checking... Well, whatever it is that doctors check.

"Everything looks good. I have been monitoring the attachment every hour or so, and I have not seen any signs of rejection. Actually the connection is becoming stronger as time goes on. You are going to have to stay in the hospital for a few days, which I told you already, before we take the bandages off and try out those eyes. Then you will probably stay for another day or so, just to make sure we have smooth sailing." I feel the bed shift as she sits next to me and places her hands on my temples.

"I know, you already told me," I say as I still under her touch.

"Yeah, but I don't know how coherent you are. Apparently you don't do well with narcotics," I hear her smile. She then sends her chakra into my skin. I can feel her poking and prodding at my lids and eyes. The sensation on having eyes was so... I know it shouldn't feel wrong but it did. Like they shouldn't be there. She takes her chakra away and lowers her hand.

"Alright, you did your checks, now go home Sakura," Ino sighs. I frown and move my brows again. I am really going to have to work on not moving my facial muscles.

"How long was I out?" I ask in the direction of Ino's voice. I have a feeling that Saukra might downplay the time.

"Not too..."

"Stop it Forehead. The surgery took over seven hours. It had been nearly fifteen hours since you got out," Ino says in a stern voice.

"Over twenty two hours?" I mumble. "Sakura, go home. Sleep in your bed," I turn in her direction.

"I am fine. I work over twenty four hours all the time. It really isn't a problem," Sakura clips.

"But you are on vacation are you not?" I just smirk in her direction. "That means no doubles, no staying up for days at a time. I am fine Sakura," I say to her.

"Listen to him. I told you I would stay," Ino sighed.

"Fine," Sakura relented. "But if there is even the slightest change you send one of the interns for me. I don't care if I just got home or am in the shower. You get me. Got it Pig?" She says in a stern voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Now go home and get that shower. You don't smell good," Ino says flippantly.

Sakura did finally leave, and Ino did stay. Though I knew what was going on I couldn't help but to keep falling asleep. She returned the next morning with food. Real food, which was a god send. Why was hospital food so terrible? I mean I got that they needed to make it healthy. Actually no, it wasn't all that healthy. Who needs to eat pudding at every meal?

The days blurred together for a while. My natural sleep rhythm was completely fucked. I don't know if I am awake during the night or day. The only thing that would que me in was if it was Ino or Sakura there. Though there was a few occasions that it was Yamato, Sai and Kakashi. Those times were a bit strained and I would force myself to go back to sleep.

"Today is the day," Sakura chirped as she walked into my room. I was already up and was currently eating my twenty fifth pudding. I turn my head and raise my brow.

"Now?" I asked with a spoon hanging out of my mouth. There were a few more footsteps in the room, but I couldn't bring myself to care about them.

"Well unless you want to finish your delicious treat," she said sarcastically. I pull the spoon from my mouth and drop it down on the tray.

"No. That's ok. Pudding can wait," I push the tray back with a smile.

"Alright," she makes her way closer to me. I can feel the bed shift as she sits next to me. "Let's get this show on the road," she says as she begins to loosen the bindings. She takes it off slow. Too fucking slow. I just wanted her to cut it off. But I sit there and let her unwrap it layer by infuriating layer. Finally the last piece falls and all that are left are the gauze pads that were laying on my eyes. "Dim the lights will you?" She says to someone as her fingers begin to go under the pads. "Keep your eyes closed. I am going to clean the area. Just like before," she says as she begins to wipe something over my lids. The cool feeling felt nice. My eyes still felt tight and ached, but I didn't care about that. "Okay. If you can, I want you to slowly open your eyes," she instructed. She said slowly but her words were coming fast from her mouth. I curtly nod my head. Here goes nothing.

The first thing I feel is pain. It stings, and it stings bad. It also hurt to use my eyelids. Immediately I could feel the moisture leaking from them. I try and contain the panic as I think about when I used my sharingan and when it bled. I wasn't sure if these were tears or blood. Instantly there was light? I think it's light. White..is that the color? I don't know but there is a lot of it. Fuzzy is what comes to mind. Yeah everything is fuzzy and I couldn't make sense of what I could see. Was this seeing? No this couldn't be seeing. This wasn't it. It didn't work. I may not be in darkness but this could be worse. This was not right. I wince as I shut my eyes tight and open them again. Blurry white, dark, colors that I can't remember.

"This isn't right," I say as I bring my hands to my eyes. Sakura once again catches my wrist. "No, this isn't right. I don't know.. this isn't right." I try and fight her grip so I could touch my eyes but she must have used chakra to restrain me. Which honestly pissed me off. I try and look around to make sense of anything but I can't see or I don't know what I am seeing, or maybe the whole thing got fucked up. "Let go of me," I growl.

"No," She replies softly. I think there were footsteps, but there was too much going on. "Sui, I need you to calm down. Your eyes may need a moment to adjust. It may also take you a little while to understand what you are seeing. The first step is going to be calm down."

"I can't see. This can't be it. This can't be sight," I almost cry to her. I should have not let myself get my hopes up. Maybe I should have just let it be.

"Sui," Her hands tightened on my wrists and lifted them. "Close your eyes for a moment," she says in a calm voice. Swallowing thickly I follow her instructions. "Ok, feel my face. You have seen me. Now look with your hands. Touch my face," Taking a deep breath I run my fingers over her face stopping at each slope, each ridge, everything. "Okay, now keeping your hands on my face, slowly open your eyes." I nod as my flutter my lids open. "Don't move your eyes, don't look anywhere else. Just look forward and give your eyes a chance to focus. Remember what it was like going from a dark room to a light one? That's what is happening. You just need to give it a moment." I force myself to keep my eyes open and to look ahead. Everything was still blurry and it stung to have them open. I keep my fingers on her face and brush them against her skin. Lines began to form and I think that I was registering colors. Pink. I think that the first color I can recognize is pink. There is a lot of it, and it's framing... Hands. There are hands. Those are hands. They are large as they cup something in them. Lines… those muscles and tendons moving under the skin. I flex my finger and watch as one moves to the command of my mind. Those are my hands, and under my finger tip is... I furrow my brow as I stare intently on what... no not what.. who was under my hands.

I try and look at her face, but it was blurry, or maybe it wasn't. I couldn't make sense of what I was looking at. I think there may have been shapes. "Sui, look at me. Look at me using both your hands and eyes," Sakura said softly. I take in a breath and immediately my eyes close. "You have to keep those lids open to look with your eyes." I could feel her face shift as she spoke, the apples of her cheeks raising as I felt her so familiar smile. I nod my head and slowly open my eyes. Still I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. Start from the bottom up, I thought to myself as I let my fingers move down to her jaw. I trace the soft lines of her jaw as I look at them. Crescent shaped. I move my fingers forward to look at her chin. It was small, in my eyes and in my hand. I move my fingers up to her lips. Pink, more pink. There was a slight pout and her bottom lip was slightly bigger than the top. I trace my fingers over her mouth. Seeing and feeling the bumps of her skin. She smiles and I see white. White straight teeth. My finger brushes over the hard smooth texture. I move my hands and trace her nose, I see and feel that it was small and there was a small up turn to it. I look and feel her high cheeks, then my fingers move us to her eyelids. Long lashes framed her closed eyes. I brush my fingers over them and watch as they shift under my fingers.

I let them move to her forehead and feel the roundness of it. In the center there was something. I attempt to focus my eyes as I see.. Purple? Yes, I believe that is purple diamond shape. I run my finger over it, but it just feels as soft and smooth as the rest of her skin. No ridges to it, it wasn't raised. My thumbs trace the thin arched pink brows. Pink there was a lot of pink. I trace it down to her closed eyelids.

"Open your eyes," I breath. Her cheeks raise as she smiles again and her eyes flutter open. Green. Yes, they were bright green. I could see her looking at me. I could see her. I had a hard time figuring out the look, but I could feel the joy under my fingers. I looked at her whole face. I was right. Dear gods I was right. She was beautiful. I have heard of sights being breathtaking. Honestly I never understood the saying. Even when I had eyes. I thought things looked nice or pretty but it never caused me to catch my breath before.

"Hi," she said softly. Everything was soft about her, her eyes, her smile, her voice. I lick my lips as I smile, and her smile broadens. I let out a breath that got caught in my lungs. I can see her. And all I want to do is sit here for hours and look at her. Just looking into her eyes I feel my heart race and my stomach knot. She fluttered her eyes as she tilts her head. Love... I had felt it with her before but to see the way that she is looking at me, it feels as if my chest is about to explode. I am about to say something but I suddenly felt pressure in my eyes as it began to sting. I close my eyes quickly as I bend my head forward. I knew this feeling.

"Sui?" Sakura asked with worry tracing her words. "Are you okay?" Her hand was on my cheek. Was I fine? I didn't know. I mean... I knew this feeling I was having. One that I hadn't had in a long time.

"Fine," I say shaking my head. "I am fine. Just a little overwhelmed," I place my hand over hers. "I just need to use the bathroom." I say as I sit in my bed.

"Oh, okay. Here let me help you," she says as she grabs onto my upper arm as I stand from the bed. I don't fight her help, I let her guide me to the restroom. "Ok, well there isn't a window in here and the lights will be kind of harsh. I could leave the door open so it isn't that bright if you would like?" I shook my head at her question. No I needed to see something.

"No, close the door. I'll be fine," I give her a brittle smile. She squeezes my arm before she releases me.

"Okay, I'll be outside if you need anything," she said. There was a sharp click of a switch. A noise that for the longest time held no meaning to me, but I knew that she was turning the lights on. I just stand there smiling until I hear the click of the door closing behind me. I let out a sigh as I stood alone in the room before I reached out to find the sink. The moment I feel the cool porcelain I straighten my back. Slowly I open my eyes.

White. Once again all white. I blink several times trying to focus, but it was as if my mind didn't want to work through what I could see. I reach out and touch the smooth glass of the mirror to see a person standing in front of me. It still didn't make much sense. So I take a deep breath and touch my face just as I had done with Sakura. I couldn't even recognize my own reflection. All I could see was a stranger. I hadn't thought much of what I looked like, but it was jarring to see this man standing in front of me. The last time that I saw myself I was just entering puberty and still had a round baby face. There was nothing of that left, and what I saw was what Sakura's grandmother saw. I did indeed look like my grandfather.

I trace my eyes from the bottom. My face was no where as round and smooth as her. My jaw was all sharp lines and angles. My lips looked full, my nose a bit wider and flatter. Then I looked to my eyes. Red. Not only red, but in it was the sharp black ninja star pattern of my mangekyou. Holy fuck. I didn't know if the sharingan would still be there, or how it would awaken. I never in a million years thought that it would show up within moments of opening my eyes. How the hell was this even possible?

There was a knock at the door, but I couldn't stop looking at my eyes. "Hey you doing okay?" Sakura asks. I just nod, my eyes still wide and red.

"Yeah, I am good. Be out in a minute," I say as I watch the lips of my reflection move. I look back to my eyes. I can't go out there like this. I can't walk out with the Uchiha eyes. That would cause a shit storm. I can still feel the chakra that was activating it swirling in my eyes. Shit... What if she would be able to tell? Should I tell her? My stomach begins to twist and knot from a very different reason.

I shake my head. Think about that later. Right now I had to make sure that I didn't walk out there like this. I knew how to do this, I reminded myself. I had activated and deactivated my eyes thousands of times before. Sure I hadn't for a long time, but it should be like riding a bike. I take a deep breath to calm myself before I feel the chakra in my eyes. Mentally I pull it back. There was resistance at first, but slowly I could feel it recede. I blink at the feeling. Not looking anyplace in particular. Once I can no longer feel the pressure, I look up to my face. Silver. Light silvery grey eyes stared back at me. I blinked a few more times thinking that perhaps this was a trick of the light, but no. The color didn't change or darken. That was the last color that I thought I would see.

I raise my hand up and run my fingers over my eyelids. I become distracted then by discoloration of my skin. The first time I saw my reflection I didn't see the detail, but now I was analyzing my skin. Scars. I knew that they were there I had felt them before. When I was younger I would wonder what they looked like. As I grew older just pushed it to the side. It didn't matter to me. I mean I had lived through a fall off of a waterfall and was tumbled through a river full of rapids. Of course my skin would have shown that.

I run my fingers over the slightly raised skin. Touching each one. First I investigated the scar that went through the side of my lip. I started a little right of my nose and bisected my lips towards the corner. It was faint, but could be seen easily through the skin of my lips. Next there was a long line that started in the hollow of my cheek it ran back and over my ear into my hairline. The skin of the line a shade darker then my skin. I move my hand to my temple were another line starting. This one went through my left brow, causing a thin bald patch. I moved my hand to another one on the other side near my temple. Then my eye was drawn to a few finer ones near my eye. It was strange. So strange. I knew this man was me... But I couldn't seem to comprehend it.

"Sui, are you sure you're doing ok?" Sakura asked. Her voice held even more worry than before. I keep my eyes locked in the reflection. Staring intently at the pale eyes that stared back.

"Yeah, still good. I'll be out in a moment," I wonder if my voice matches this face. And I don't know. When I had thought about being able to see, I didn't think that my first few moments would be like this. I didn't think there would be so much confusion. I blink slowly. Really feeling lids sliding over my eyeballs. I didn't think it would feel so foreign.

I take a deep breath in, watching my nostrils flare slightly, before I turn to the door. I had to make sure that I kept my chakra and emotions in check. Something I had not had to worry about in long time. One slip up and my eyes would activate. I grab onto the knob, that only took a few moments to put together what I was looking at, and take another deep breath, double checking that I had everything in order and open the door.

The room was dim, so it was in essence the reverse of what I had dealt with just a few moments ago. I blink a few times before I can make out figures, or maybe shapes that were around me. There was the light sound of footsteps to the side of me, I turn my head and look over. Pink was once again the first thing that registered as Sakura walked towards me.

'Still doing ok?" She asked as she pushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. Her eyes were wide as she looked at me with a soft smile on her lips. I could fucking see what she was doing, there was so much more emotion in her then her voice let on. I could barely speak as I looked at her. My voice was lost.

No, don't let the emotion overwhelm, I thought to myself as I shook my head. I looked back to her to see her fine brows drawn, her bottom lip tucked under her teeth. She made sense to me. In this new world she made complete sense.

"I think it's just a lot to take in Sakura-chan," a deep voice came from the other side of the room. I tore my eye away from her to look in the voices direction. I knew the voice. It was a voice I had avoided. Kakashi stood at the other side of the room. I was jarred as I looked at him. There stood a grown man. When I had thought of him my mind would show me the late teenager, or was it early twenties? Who was tall and lanky. He seemed to have lost that, now he was tall and sturdy. His forehead protector no longer pulled down over one eye, but his mask remained. His hair was just as light as I had remembered it. That was the only thing that was exactly the same. Well, that and the Jounin uniform that he was wearing. Though, I don't really remember seeing him in it all that often. The differences really shouldn't be surprising. It had been thirteen years, of course the man would look different.

"You're going to have to work on not staring," he said as he raised a hand to the back of his neck. I blinked a few times before I looked back to Sakura who had a smile on her lips.

"Well, it really isn't surprising. The staring, I mean. You haven't seen things for a very long time," she laughed. I couldn't stop myself from watching her mouth as that awesome sound fell from it. I smirk at her, things were coming back, things were making sense.

"Sorry," I mumbled. But before I could say anything else there seemed to be some type of commotion in the hallway.

"Sir, you really can't go in there. I was told not to let anyone in," a nurse said from the other side of the door.

"No. It's okay. Believe me, I am allowed in there."

"No. Really sir, you can't."

"Yes I can. Ma'am, Lady, nurse person," the other voice says as I hear the door handle jiggle. Then it jiggled again. It seemed like there was some type of fight going on with the door.

"Nurse person, lady, ma'am let go," but before the nurse could say anything the door swung open. The new light burned my eyes causing me to squint.

"Oh Sakura-sama, I am so sorry I tried.."

"Aww man I fucking missed it. I missed the reveal," Koji whined. My eyes grew wide as I look at the man in front of me. There he stood grinning wildly at me. He was tall, I had figured that, but his hair was red... No, it was orange and it stuck out in all directions, his eyes were a honey color and his skin... Ah, now I get all the brother jokes, as my skin was fair his was dark.

"It's fine do..." Sakura was speaking to the nurse but all I could do was stare at him.

"Koji?" I half asked because even though I knew the voice the face was still very new.

"Bro," he continued grinning. Though, it was a bit lopsided. "You have eyes," he said as he approached me. I had always assumed he moved in a heavy manner. It was always difficult for him to sneak up, but he was graceful. That was not a word that I would have ever put with him. Once he got to me he embraced me. He smelled like the forest of the inn. "Now let me see," he said as he let me go and placed his large hands on my cheeks. He must be at least a five inches taller than me, as he had to bend down a little to be eye to eye. His honey yellow eyes peered into mine. "Huh, I thought you would have dark eyes," he said as he cocked his head to the side.

"Well, they may change. It's like when a baby is born their eye color won't really settle for a year. so it is possible that they won't stay this color," Sakura spoke up. Koji let go of my face and looked over to Sakura who was standing smiling.

"How did I just walk past you?" Koji lunged at Sakura and pulled her into a hug. She laughed as he lifted her up and swung her. That was until he was facing the direction of Kakashi. He slowly placed her down. "What is the asshole author doing here?" He growled. It took me a minute to figure out what he meant. Sakura stood there and looked to me with furrowed brows. Well, this probably isn't going to end well.

"Koji, that's Hatake Kakashi," I say as I look to him. He looks back at me with his brows pulled down. Confusion or anger? I wasn't sure. Maybe both? He then snorted.

"Right, Hatake Kakashi, commander of the Third Division was some ass hole that broke your head?" Ok, I can hear the sarcasm coming from him, but the face he is making anything but light. Angry, I recognize that look. He is pissed.

"Broke your face?" Sakura asked next to me. I look at Koji who is glaring at Kakashi, Kakashi who is looking blank faced at him and now Sakura was staring at me with her brows knitted and her mouth slightly opened.

"Uhhh, it was a misunderstanding," I say slowly.

"Misunderstanding my ass," Koji huffs. "The man broke your brow bone. Now you are saying that this dude was in charge of my division?" Now it was my turn to be confused. I didn't know that. Koji never spoke of his time in the war and it was not a topic I wanted to talk of.

"You! You broke his supraorbital?" She yelled and I watched in amazement as her cheeks began to flush the same color of her hair. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Sakura-chan, I thought it would be a good idea to see who it was that you were bring home," Kakashi sighed as he shifted his weight.

"Really Kakashi-sensei? You had to go and check out my patient? Because you are a medic nin?" She seethed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So the asshole is really Hatake Kakashi?" Koji turned to look at Sakura. She rolled her eyes... Oh shit I'll be able to roll my eyes too...

"Yeah," Sakura growled.

"You were in the war?" Kakashi asked as he looked at Koji. "In my division? What squad?"

"I was with the Inuzukas," Koji said flippantly.

"You a tracker?" Kakashi asked as he scratched his chin. Koji shook his head.

"Na. I think the only reason I was put there was because my sister could heal animals and people alike" his shoulder shrugged. "Don't really know how I got put with her." I knew because Koji acted like an Inuzuka.

"You were on the same squad as Hisako?" Koji turned his head and looked at me. His eyes slightly wider than they had been. He nodded his head.

"Yeah man, we were placed in the same squad. I didn't bring it up because I knew how against us going you were. I didn't think you wanted to hear about it," he says softly. I jump as I feel Sakura place her hand over my arm. I looked down at her to see that all the anger she had a moment ago had faded from her face.

"Where are you aligned as a shinobi?" Kakashi asked suddenly. All of us look to him.

"Nowhere. I'm not a shinobi," Koji replies. Kakashi just stood and raised a brow. "Why are you even here? I mean... You beat the shit out of Sui. I didn't think you were a fan of his."

"Because he was my teacher and this procedure is a big deal to me. And he is the only teammate that is in the village. So moral support," Sakura said. "Though I wasn't aware that he went around and beat people that I knew." I cringe at the venom that laced her words. "That is something we will be having a talk about." I saw Kakashi flinch as she glared at him. It was really amazing how all of these small movements meant so much.

"Well, I didn't sprint all the way here to see this asshole," Koji shrugged. "So you can really see?" Koji asked as he walked ever to me and waved his hand in front of my face. I could help but smile as I grabbed his wrist

"Yeah, I can see. And I would appreciate if you didn't do that. It's confusing as it is and I don't need you waving your hand around," I sigh as I let go of him.

"Confusing?" Koji asked as he tilted his head.

"Sui hasn't been able to see for a while. His mind is used to putting mental pictures together with his other senses, so it may take him a little while for his brain to make sense of stuff," Sakura explained. "The plus side is that he has seen before so he does have references in his mind. It seems that you are already doing amazingly well," she smiled at me. I smirk at her.

"People are amazing at adapting."

"That they are." Sakura smiled brightly at me.

Kakashi left pretty soon after that. Probably because every time Koji looked at him he looked like he wanted to jump him. Sakura stayed for a while checking out the reactions of my eyes, asking all types of questions about what I saw. It seemed depth perception was something that I was going to have to learn as was recognition. She took notes the whole time and after a while she excused herself to go and report to the Hokage.

"Noni packed more stuff for you to look at," Koji said as he sat in the chair next to my bed. He took out a scroll and released it making boxes of pictures appeared on it.

"I haven't even had the chance to look at the ones she sent with me," I smile weakly.

"Ah well, we can start with those then. We can move onto these after," Koji said as he placed the boxes on the ground. "Where are they?"

"I think in a drawer. I didn't have a chance to ask about them. You showed up just after they took the bandages off." I say as I scratch the back of my neck. Koji nodded as he stood and began to go through the drawers and cupboards looking for my personal belongings.

"How trippy was it? Seeing for the first time?" He asked as he opened a door. He then peeked out from behind it a wide grin on his face. "Have you seen your ugly mug yet?" He asked.

"Yeah," I sigh. "I saw it. You all never told me how bad the scars were," I raise a brow as his grin widened.

"Noni said not to bring them up. So we didn't. It's not like we wanted her to crack our skulls," he laughed as he retrieved a box. "Plus they aren't that bad. Not like when we first saw you," he made his way back to the char. "Noni probably has some pictures in here of back then. You did look a bit like an experiment that went wrong," he laughed. I frowned as I looked at him. I don't know if I wanted to see those pictures. We sat quietly for a moment. Koji was rummaging through the box and I sat there watching him. "Ah, here is the one I was looking for all the kids," he grinned as he looked up to me. In his hand he had a picture he was holding out to me.

It took me a moment to reach out and grab it, both because I knew that the image that I had of my family would change in a moment, and because it was hard to tell the distance. After a few seconds the glossy paper was in my hands, smooth against my fingertips. Slowly I looked down. It was so odd to look at the faces in the photo. It was as if they were strangers, but I knew they weren't. I let my eyes roll over the five figures, all standing smiling widely. Except one. I only know it's me because of the scars running down his face. A small reserved smile on his lips.

"That was two days before we left," Koji said softly I look up to see him looking at the image in my hand. "So that is the newest one of us all. There are lots more, but that was the last time we were together," he sighed. His honey eyes soft as he looked up at me. I smile softly before I look back down. "The best looking one there, is me," Koji says as he points to himself. He looked the same. Perhaps his fiery hair was a bit shorter, but that was it. He was even wearing similar clothes as he did today. A black shirt with tan cargo pants, ninja handles on his feet. His smile was lopsided as he had his arm dropped over a woman. I smile as I look at her. I would know those ungodly high cheekbones anywhere. "Yumma," he said pointing to her. Yumma stood next to him with her arm around his waist. She was beautiful. It really was no wonder why we had issues with men hitting on her at the inn. Her hair was black and glossy, cut in a bob that hung just above her shoulder, thick bangs that went over her forehead. Her features were sharp. High cheek bones, a small chin a small straight nose. Cat like is what came to mind when I looked at her. She was lean and tall. I knew that, but I never realized how tall. She was nearly as tall as Koji. Her skin was a light tan and her eyes were dark and slanted a bit. Her clothes were leather and fitted to her, showing off her strong stomach and arms. Beautiful and badass. I follow her other arm that was wrapped around man who was shorter than her. "Goro," Koji points. I smile as I look at my quite brother. Goro was always calm no matter what. He was always the best at diffusing situations. He was my height, and his hair was easily longer than mine. He had it in locks with half of it pulled up, the other half loose. He had a large grin on his face revealing white teeth. His eye teeth a bit more pronounced than normal. His facial features looked as if they were sculpted out of marble.A strong jaw lines with a eyes were an amazing hazel color His skin Carmel colored. He was built. Even through the cargo pants and tee shirt you could see he had large muscles. his hand was resting on a small girls shoulders.

I couldn't help but smirk sadly at the next person. ""Hisako," Koji said softly. I nod lightly at him, not tearing my eyes off of her. She was beautiful. I knew that. But she was even more beautiful than I could have imagined. She was the shortest one of the group by at least a head. Her hair was a purple burgundy color. Long and braided in two on each side of her head. It hung a few inches past her breasts.

"She always said her hair was dark. I thought brown or black," I said as my finger traced the hair, remembering the soft texture. Koji snorted.

"She hated it. Had since she was little," he said with a dry laugh. "For some reason she wanted mine, like having this color is any better," he shook his head. "Though she did stop talking about it once you arrived." I glanced at him. No this color suited her. She wouldn't look right with Koji's hair. I look back to the image. As dark as her hair was she her skin was pale. Though she did have large freckles that speckled over her nose and the tops of her cheeks. I look at her eyes and frown.

"She said she had blue eyes," I look up to Koji. He laughed back at me.

"Well, technically she wasn't lying. Only forgot to mention that the other was brown," he smiled while shaking his head. "Listen man, I know that you though, and probably still think she was perfect. And she was awesome. But she had her baggage like the rest of us. When Noni first brought her home I remember hearing them talking. She told Noni that the men that killed her family had called her a mongrel and a half breed. I don't know what her parents looked like, but it took a long time for her to get that she was just as human as the rest of us," Koji smiled softly. "For all her mix matched features she was stunning. Too good looking for the likes of you," he said as he ruffled my hair. I just frowned, there was so much that I didn't know, that I had never bothered to ask about them. I figured if it was important they would tell me. So I sat there for a while and just looked at her. She wore clothes similar to Yumma, she looked like a nymph warrior. Koji stayed quiet as I sat there and stared down. The longer I took in the image the more my stomach knotted. I thought that she was the other half of my soul, I loved her fiercely and would have done anything for her. But I couldn't, I couldn't follow her into war, I couldn't keep her safe. I couldn't keep any of them safe. I felt like a failure.

How could I have fallen for Sakura? How was it possible? I purse my lips and trace her image again.

"I.. I am seeing Sakura," I say with a frown. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Koji look up at me.

"You're seeing Sakura? Like seeing Sakura?" Koji asked as he looked up at me with narrowed eyes. I glance over at him and curtly nod. I don't know what I want him to say. I just felt the need for him to know. "What? You feel bad about it?" He asks as he leans his large frame back into the chair. I just sit there and didn't answer. Because yes, at that moment I did feel guilt. I felt guilty that I had been so fucking happy over these past few weeks.

"Stop it," Koji growls. I look up to see him glaring at me. "I thought we were done with all this pity party bull shit. I mean. For gods sakes, do you think they would want us to live the rest of our life in constant mourning? Do you think it would make Hisako happy if you didn't find happiness?" His tone was venomous as he spoke. " No, she wouldn't. She would be fucking pissed. And I mean she would be screaming at you like Noni did the time we burned the south forest. So you need to stop all this emotional torture you put yourself through. It's getting really old bro," he said with a sneer. I felt my eyes widen as I looked at him fuming. Every muscle in his face became sharper as he tensed. He was right. I knew that, but I didn't expect for him to yell at me. I open my mouth to say something but close it quickly as there is a knock on the door.

"Mako Sui?" A woman's voice came from the other side of the door before it was pushed open.

"Yeah," I reply as a tall blonde woman walks in. Okay the first thing that I noticed wasn't that she was tall, but the fact that her chest was huge. I glance over to see Koji also staring at her. I shook my head as looked up to her face. It was young and stern. In the center of her forehead the same diamond that adorned Sakura's skin.

"My name is Tsunade, you may call me Tsunade-Sama or Hokage-sama," she said as she closed the door and walked to my bed. She raised her hand expectantly, I looked at it for a moment and tried to judge the distance. I manage to grasp onto her with only overshooting a little

"Issues with depth perception. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise," she said as she released my hand. She then walked to the foot of my bed and pulled the chart. "Everything looks like it is going well here. You are very lucky to have Sakura on your case. Are you aware that this is the first time that an eye has been transplanted that didn't come from a cadaver?" She looked up at me arching a blonde brow. Her eyes nearly the same shade as Koji's looking at me intently. For some reason I felt as if the woman was scrutinizing me.

"Uh yeah," I scratch the back of my neck. "I mean yes, Hokage-sama. She has brought that up," I strain a smile. She purses her lip and moves her eyes back to the chart.

"I am very interested in your case and how it progresses. There are many shinobi who can use this treatment. Gaining eyesight back will greatly enhance their, quality of life," she says still reading the board. I hear Koji snort next to me. I send a warning glance over at him, but he is just frowning at Tsunade. I want to yell at him to knock it off, but I know he doesn't understand the hierarchy of the village. He doesn't get that she is the most powerful person here.

"His quality of life was just fine. He got around fine, it isn't as if he was a cripple," he says sarcastically. If I knew I could hit him I would have smacked him in the back of his head. But I didn't, I would have to close my eyes to land that blow. So, instead I just look at him with a horrified expression on my face. I look back to Tsunade who was putting the chart back a small smile graced her lips.

"Oh, by no means was I saying he is a cripple. No, not at all. I have heard the rumors of a blind boy sparing with team Kakashi. Who are you?" She asks narrowing her eyes but keeping that thin smile on her face. I look back to Koji who shifted in his seat.

"Maki Koji. Sui's brother," he says flatly. What the fuck was with him? That attitude was going to wind up with the Hokage punting him across the village. Tsunade looked from me then back to Koji.

"Brothers... I don't see it," she laughed as she shook her head. "Sui, you have a fierce family. Noni has contacted me a few times and I think I know where Koji gets it from. Anyways, while Sui was able to adapt from having his sight taken from him, but not all can," Tsunade said as she looked to Koji. "There are many men and women who would rather die than to face the world in darkness," she said as she walked over to my bed. "Now I just want to check your healing and the way in which Sakura was able to connect the eyes and muscle, if you don't mind?" She asked as she raised her hands to my temples.

"Sure..." I say as her cool fingers touch my skin. I close my eyes in response to the touch. Her chakra invades my skin. It's not as gentle as Sakura's. Instead it is aggressive. There isn't pain and by the way she probed around I could tell she moved with certainty. She began to hum as I felt her chakra withdrawal.

"You have extra chakra pathways," she said as she dropped her hands. "Sakura said that you didn't have a blood limit," she said as she cocked her head. "Are you certain?" I am thankful that her hands were off of me because at that question my heart skipped a beat. I could only hope that there was no movement in my pupil or if there was she wasn't looking for it. So I fought not to swallow as I shook my head.

"No ma'am, not that I know of," I lie using all of my rusty ANBU training. I don't know if she believes me and I can only hope that Koji didn't react to the question, but I couldn't chance looking over at him.

"Well, it could be possible that there is something down the line. At one point you may have had an ancestor who had some type of visual prowess. The extra pathways could just be a leftover gene," she said as she stared at me. Her gaze was sharp as she looked over my face once more. "Well good news kid, you'll probably be able to leave in a day or so. Sakura informed me that you'll have visual therapy to work on the issues you are having readjusting for a month or so," she bring a red painted finger up to her chin. "I would like for you to come and see me at the tower in a few weeks, just so I can take a look. It is hard leaving, hence why I wasn't able to meet you earlier," she smiles but her eyes are still boring into me. "Well I must be off. Congratulations on the surgery and the new eyesight Sui," she nods to me curtly before turning and walking out.

Slowly I look over to Koji who is staring at me with wide eyes, how mouth agape.

"Man, I don't think you're supposed to lie to doctors like that," he hisses to me in a whisper.

 **We have sight! Now I when I was researching how to have him adjust there were several cases I looked at. The only problem was that most the people either couldn't see well for most of their life or had lost vision after they were over 40-50. The people who were never able to see well often had problems that lasted the rest of their life. These were things like depth perception, recognition ECT. But that was because their brain had developed to make up for lack of sight. This caused them to have issues trying to rewire it. Now, the people that gained sight after only being blind for a shorter amount of time took back to seeing with little problems. They already had sight experiences they could rely on. I took creative license over Shisui's experience. He was young so half of his life was with out sight, and he had also rerouted how he used his chakra and senses in a major way. I think that while he still does have connections to sight, it would still take him a readjustment period to get use to.**

 **I am also looking at this as how I came back to writing. I use to love literature, but had been told that I was stupid and couldn't write well. The whole time I had dyslexia, and didn't get diagnosed until I was well into highschool. Even though I loved stories, I stopped because I let others people influence me, I believed that I wasn't good and it would be a waste. It was a year and a half ago that I started to write this piece and another story *that I need to rework* and it was fucking hard. But I wanted to prove them wrong and myself. I mean I knew how it was supposed to be but I couldn't see the mistakes I made. I had to go back and train my brain. It may take a while and it may be soo far from perfect but I get better the more I try. Grammar is another thing I am relearning, as I just focused on getting the letters in the right order.I will keep on trying. Me learning to write is much like how it will be for Shisui... Just have to retrain yourself.**

 **Anyways Thank you all again for taking the time out to read and review! I am doing great, no issues from surgery! This is the part of the story that I just wanted to skip to from the beginning. I am so happy we are up to it!**


	24. Chapter 24

I actually rolled my eyes at Koji. Sure, it hurt but there was so much satisfaction in that one small movement.

"I can't let them know," I hiss in a hushed tone. He just sat there and stared at me with a raised brow while inconsiderate mouth moving into a tight line. I really tried to help it, but I couldn't tear my eyes away as I watched the minuscule movements of his face.

"Remember when I said that you looked creepy without any eyes?" He asked slowly as he looked at me.

"Yeah?" I asked as I raised a brow.

"Well, having you watch my every movement is waaaay creepier." Koji huffed as he leaned back in his chair. I blinked then scowled as I looked at him. "Anyways, you eyes possibly being different is something that your doctor should. I mean, come on man, what if it leads to complications that could have been taken care of?" He asked in a low tone as he leaned in closer. The box in his lap slid a bit forward at the movement, but he raised his legs to prevent it from falling off. His hands moved to the arm of his chair and wrapped around them. His grip was hard on it, as I could see the tendons moving under the skin as he kept on flexing his grip. Shaking my head lightly I tore my eyes away from his hand and look up to him.

"You know you are a jerk," I snort at him. He just raised a fiery brow at me and shrugs. I roll my eyes again. "Listen, I haven't been about to see for ten fucking years. So yeah, I am going to be looking at everything like... I don't know I haven't seen for ten years. And you know," I let my voice become of missions as I leaned into his direction. "They can't know. Not right now. I don't know what will happen if they find out. And this isn't the place to discuss this. We can talk about this later when there aren't as many people that can overhear us. Got it?" I hiss. His eyes harden as he looks at me. I can understand why he is concerned, but I really don't want them to know. They really can't know. Everything will change. I know that everything has already changed, but that was for the better. I wasn't prepared to gamble away my happiness. Not when I just found it again. I couldn't lose it all. I couldn't lose Sakura. I can't go through that for a third time. I know that I can't

"Well, I think that you are playing a dangerous game here, bro. One that could fuck you out of your sight," Koji sighed as all of the muscles in his body began to uncoil.

"I know," I sighed and look away from him. There was nothing more that I could say.

"Fine," Koji grunted. "Do whatever you want. I mean, it really shouldn't be a surprise. You always have," He grumbled. I turned my head to glare at him to see him looking down his hands that were resting on the photo box. I had no response for him. I knew that anything I said wouldn't go over well unless tongue agreed and that was something that I was not willing to compromise on. Instead, I let out another deep sigh. The sound had Koji looking up at me with a raised brow. There we sat for a while just staring at each other before Koji finally let out a low grunt and moved his attention to the box on his lap. He looked through it for a few moments before he pulled out whatever it was he was looking for. The annoyance and anger that was on his face slid away as a sly smile began to spread on his lips.

"Here," He said in a light tone as he held out a picture. "Oh, you have to see this one," he lifted the photo higher as his smile became lopsided. I looked at him skeptically for a moment before raising my hand. I wondered for a moment if I was making a wise decision taking the paper into my hand. While I have only been able to see his expression for a short period of time, I knew that tone. That tone had led to many problems in my life. Slowly I brought the photo in for closer inspection.

I glanced at it for a moment before sighing. It was a normal photo. Well, normal in the way that there was nothing too embarrassing, at least not for me. No, the image depicted two people. Two people that more than likely didn't realize that they were being photographed. In the forefront of the image was a bear of a man. He actually looked much larger than I had imagined. No wonder when Yosh walked into the dining room when there was some type of upset everyone grew quite. He had hair just as dark as mine but in a low crew cut, a thick beard outlined his jaw. Besides his overall size, what got me was sexier tattoos that littered his arms. There was little skin left bare. I knew he had some, just not this many. I let my eyes go back to his face to see his eyes, shut and he was grinning stupidly as he was adding something to a wok. If there was any doubt in my mind to who this was, that expression squashed them. Who else in this world would be THAT happy about seasoning? The only one that I knew of was Yosh.

Behind his was a tiny woman. She was so much smaller than him that she was like a doll. And just as she was the opposite in size her features were also polar opposites. Where Yosh had deep dark hair Noni's was so blonde it could be thought of as white. I couldn't fully compare eye colors, though, as her eyes were also tightly shut. That wasn't out of cooking joy but it seemed that she was draining a bottle of sake down her throat. I looked down to see clothes in much the same style I had seen on Yumma and Hisako. I smiled as I thought of them looking, bad ass warriors.

"Yosh and Noni in their natural habitat," Koji snorted a laugh as he looked down at the picture. "But man, don't let Noni know I showed you this one. Especially not as the first one," He warned as he took the picture from my hand and placed it back into the box. He quickly pulled out another and held it out. "This is the one that she really wanted you to see." He said as I took the photo from him. It was the same people. This time they were both sitting next to each other with wide smiles and opened eyes. Yosh's eyes matched his hair. They were dark, possibly even black while Noni's were a light gray. If I didn't know them, there is no way that I would think them related. I was also a bit taken back at how young they looked. I mean I knew they weren't too much terribly older them us, but when you think of someone as a parent, your mind always puts them in and elderly position. "Crazy right? They are about as opposite as we are," Koji chuckled.

For the next few hours, we ignored the small argument that we had. I was grateful he let it go, which is uncharacteristically Koji. If he thought that there was something wrong, he held on to it like a dog with a fresh meat bone. Instead, he just let me enjoying looking at the photos Noni sent. It was nice to see. I mean, I saw myself growing along the side of the other children. I could see them laughing, smiling, yelling, and so much more. The only problem was it wasn't the image I had in my mind. I knew it was me, I knew they were the people that I loved. I was just having a hard time combining the two.

"This is the last one," Koji said as he held it up. It was a picture of all the kids with Noni and Yosh. We were all sitting at the table laughing. I smiled as I ran my finger over the faces. We might not have had much, but we always had each other. We always had that table, the inn, a place to call home. That is what Noni gave me the day she lifted me from the river. That gift... That gift was worth more than all the money and power in the world.

"Oh, seriously? Are you really crying, man?" Koji snorted at me. I quickly looked at him and rubbed my hand under my eyes. There was indeed moisture. Frowning I looked at the wetness that collected on my finger.

"Oh, shut it," I replied roughly as I let the picture fall to my lap. I watched as it fell before I turned my attention back to my, oh so sweet, brother and glared at him. There he sat just looking at me with a stupid smile on his face. I always knew that he would have a stupid smile.

"Hey, guys," Sakura's voice came from the door that was beginning to open as she softly knocked on the wood. "Sorry to break up the reunion, but visiting hours have been over for over an hour," she said as she walked in. The moment I could see her I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Every movement was like a dance. Even the way her bangs swayed as she walked.

"Have I really been here for that long?" I hear Koji ask but I still couldn't look away from here. "Well hell, I need to find an inn to bunk up in." At this point, I looked over to him just as he looked to me smiling even more stupidly if that was even possible. "I guess you probably have a room that isn't being used, right?" He asks as he stretched in the chair. Before I can answer Sakura spoke up.

"Um, actually he doesn't. Sui isn't in an inn. He, well, uh, is staying with me," she said nervously. I look to her to see her cheeks had begun to dust with pink as she pushed her bangs to the side of her head. Koji just lets out a snort next to me.

"Working fast man. Never took you for the type. It took Hisako years," he chuckled as he winked at me. I look over to sakura who was looking at him with tight features.

"Yeah, I told Koji," I sigh as I scratch the back of my neck. Seriously, why could he never have tact about anything?

"Oh, that's fine," she said with a tight smile. "That's actually great. Well, Koji," She said as she turned to look at him. "Right now I have a

free bed. I mean, Sui has to stay here for the night. If you would like you can stay there." I watched as the muscles in her face began to relax as her smile became genuine.

"I don't know. I mean I can just get a room. It's fine," Koji said slowly. I looked over to him to see him pushing his orange hair up as he smiled as tightly as Sakura had just been. I felt my brows furrow as I looked at the sheepish form of him. He was never one to turn down a free anything. I looked back to Sakura to see her shifting her weight as she placed a hand on her hip letting out a long sigh. I couldn't stop the smirk that spread on my face. She may be smallApparentlybut she is fierce.

"No. Absolutely not. You'll stay at my place," She raised a thin pink brow. "I mean, Noni let me say for free at the inn, so this will be me

paying it forward." At that both Koji and I had our jaws drop down. Noni never let anyone stay for free. Ever.

"She let you stay for free?" Koji sputtered out. Sakura just hummed a reply before grabbing my chart and pulling a pen from her lab coat and began to make notes. I looked over to Koji to see him looking at me with wide eyes. His mouth began to move, but no words came out. I looked at him quizzically until I realized that he had just mouthed the word free. I raised my brow as I shook my head and shrugged.

"By the way, I don't really have any food left at my place, so you probably want to head to the cafeteria or a restaurant before you go," she said as said as she placed my chart back. I just looked at her with a furrowed brow. She glanced over at me copying the look I was giving her. "Don't even say it. I have been busy. I mean, I only go home to sleep." She said pursing her lips after her defense.

"So what have you been eating? I thought that I left more than enough meals?" Because I did. I put food in the freezer, and her fridge was full when she took me to the hospital.

"Let's just say all the restaurants in town are very happy that you are here," she laughed with a broad smile. "And, you did leave enough food. More than I could ever go through. Though, remember the teammates of mine that randomly stop by? Well, every single one of those men is like a bottomless pit. Especially, when the food is good."

"I see," I said as I leaned back into my bed. Suddenly everything began to feel as if it weighed more. I was starting to get tired. Which honestly was the worse part of this surgery, actually any recuperation. I lazily watched as Sakura began to search her pockets before pulling out a small notepad. She quickly jotted down some information then ripped the paper from the pad.

"Here you are Koji," walking over she handed him the small piece of paper. "That's my address. It is really easy to find from here. Just turn left when you get out of the hospital, then turn down the first right road. After that just keep going until you hit my street. Which that street dead ends with. From there just take a left. Walk for a few blocks and my place is on the right. It is in a ground unit." As she explained the directions she pointed to where he was supposed to go. She was really so animated with everything she did. "Also there are a ton of food stalls on the way. I bet if you say that you are staying with me, they might even give ya a discount," she smiled brightly. I looked to Koji who was looking at her then down to the paper.

"You going to be okay?" I asked at his puzzled look. I honestly don't think that Koji had been to a city. At least not for a long time. I wondered if this was overwhelming for him. Navigating a village like this could be quite different from the supply runs we used to. He glared at me.

"Yeah, I am fine. What? You think that I can't find my way around," he lifted his chin as he looked down on me.

"Of course you can Koji," I sighed.

"Damn right," he huffed as he gathered his belonging. Glaring at me once more before turning to leave the room.

"OK. Well, I'll be there in a bit. So I'll see you there," Sakura waved to the fleeing man. Letting out a loud sigh I let my body slouch down into the bed.

"You really didn't have to do that," I yawned as I looked to her. " I mean, Koji is a big boy. He is more than capable of taking care of himself," I said as I began to pull the blanket up. Snorting she just sat next to me.

"I am more than aware that you and your brother are big boys. That doesn't take away from the fact that your family has been so kind and helpful to me. I mean, that was before I even offered to restore your sight. I want to play it forward. And it's not just because of Noni's gestures, you have taken care of the people that I love also. While my apartment has always been a place where people would randomly drop by, it has become a hub since you have started cooking for them. I don't know what they are going to do once top chef Sui is no longer around," She laughed as she patted my knee. I let a lazy smile spread on my face, even though all I wanted to do was cringe. There was going to come a time when I was finished with this village and would have to leave. I didn't want to leave without her. I tried to let go of that feeling. That wasn't going to happen for a while yet, and it was something that I would have to figure out when it was closer. It was easier to let the feelings go as my eyes became heavier by each passing moment. "Are you tired?" She asked as she reached to touch my face. I let myself lean into her hand.

"No, not at all," I said with another yawn. Her hand bounced a little as she let out a breathy laugh as her thumb stroked my cheek.

"Lair," she whispered. She continued to let her fingers trace my face and I couldn't help but let my lids fall. That's when I felt her soft lips on mine. Immediatly my hands went to her hips to pull her closer while I deepened the kiss. I missed feeling her under my hands. Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like weeks. She let out a breathy sigh as she proclamations closer. After a few moments, I moved my lips to her jaw as I began to kiss down.

"You know what would be better?" I playfully asked between kisses. "If you sign me out of here, then I could spend the night with you." A low groan rumbled in her chest, as I ran my lips from her jaw to her pulse points.

"That would at," she panted before placing her hand on my shoulder and pushing me down to the bed. "But that's not going to happen. You need some rest. You had a big day today. It has to be taking a toll, Plus, it's only for the night, more than likely, you will be released tomorrow night. All your labs are excellent. I think you can wait a little longer," She smiled at me as she began to stand up. I watched her movement as I let myself openly pout at her. I really didn't want to stay. I also really didn't want her to go, but I knew if she stayed she wouldn't get any sleep. "So you get some rest. Doctors orders."

"Sure, sure," I nod to her as my eyes close. I knew that this wasn't a fight that I was going to win. It was worth a shot, though. "Sakura?" Her name fell from my tongue as I open my eyes a little. She hums in response as she looks down at me. "If I have to rest, so do you. Go home. Doctors orders," I smile as I close my eyes. She makes a snorting noise next to me.

"You are not a doctor, my friend," she chuckles.

"I may not be a doctor, but I am sure that Ino will not be happy if I tell her you didn't sleep," I grin without opening my eyes.

"Fine. You win. Not because I am afraid of Pig, but because I probably should make sure that brother of yours doesn't get lost," she growls. My grin becomes larger as I roll to the side and pull the blankets over me.

"Of course. Good night, Rhino-kun."

I fell asleep almost instantly, but it wasn't restful. It was one of those sleeps that felt like you woke up only a minute after falling asleep. I slowly opening my eyes. The room was dim, but then again Sakura had made sure to keep it that way yesterday. I hoped that it was early morning, but when I turned my head I saw Koji sitting in a chair next to my bed. He was slouched down in it, his feet propped up on the edge of my bed with a book in his hand. Huh, I never thought of Koji as the reading type.

"Oh, good morning sunshine," Koji grinned as he looked to me. I replied to him with a grunt before letting my lids fall shut again. "Man, you were sleeping like the dead," he laughed. I cracked my lids open looking at him again. "Seriously, I thought that you were just going to sleep all day. I know you aren't a morning person, but this is late even for you." Grunting, I pushed myself up to a sitting position I tried to look at the blinds to get an idea of what time it was, but of course, they were drawn so I had no idea.

"What time is it?" I ask as I run a hand over my face and rub my eyes.

"Tsk, tsk. You know Sakura would be yelling at you if she saw you doing that" Koji says as he kicked my shin. I let my hands fall to my lap as I glare at him. "Well, I think that it is around one or so. I have been here since nine. It has been a really exciting visit," He deadpans. I roll my eyes. Well, that was the good part of having him here. I did get to practice that response more than I thought. I look back at him lazily. He was sitting in the same position and had turned his attention back to the book. I look at his face, his orange brows furrowed as he continued to look at the literature. I let my eyes fall down to his lap, wondering if he always had that expression while he read... That book...

"Fine," Koji grumbled as he snapped the book shut. I continued to look at the cover. I couldn't make out what it was. "I am sorry," he sighed.

That caused me to look up at him. There was guilt in those honey eyes. A guilt I didn't understand. My brows lowered in confusion as I waited for an answer. "Yeah, I ate your breakfast. You weren't going to wake up, and I was hungry. And I know what a snob you are with food. Just like Yosh. I mean really would you have wanted to eat eggs and rice that have been out for a few hours?" He asked as he raised his brows and cocked his head.

"What?" I ask as I shake my head. I didn't care that he ate some mediocre hospital food.

"That's why you were glaring at me right? Because you knew I ate it?" He asked as he scratched his chin. The sound reminded me so much of Yosh. I quickly shook my head.

"No," I said as my nose scrunched. "I don't care that you ate it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Actually, I want to look at your book," I said pointing to it.

"This book?" He lifted it up.

"Well, do you have any other books?"

"No," Koji said with a confused expression as he shook his head.

"Then yes, that book Koji," I sighed. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head wearily.

"Ok, but you do know this isn't porn. Right?" He asked as he handed me it to me. I huffed as I went to grab it. I missed. Sighing out of frustration I reached for it again. I really needed some help with depth perception.

"You think I want your book because it's porn?" I snapped. The skeptical face he was making fell as a sly smile took over. "For the love of the gods, what is wrong with you, Koji?" I grumbled as I put the book down on my lap.

"Well, I know the type of books you like. Didn't want to get your hopes up." I ignored that comment and I began to open the book. For a moment, the kanji looked off. Like it was a different language then suddenly it all became clear. I sucked air through my teeth as I realized, I could read. I just stared at the page for a few moments and stared at the words in front of me. Honestly, I wasn't sure that skill was going to be there. But it was.

"I can read," I say in shock as I looked up to my brother. Koji just looked at me with raised brows.

"Congratulations?" He responds slowly. I pursed my lips as I took in a deep breath through my nose. "I mean you knew how to read before right?"

"Yes, I knew how to read. You don't get it. I haven't seen words for thirteen years. I wasn't sure if that was still in there," I said as I

pointed to my head. "But it's still there."

"Well that's good, but it would have been awesome to see you in a school with a bunch of snot nosed brats. You know, sitting in those tiny little chairs and desks. Awww, you would have looked so cute, Sui!" He reached forward and grabbed onto my cheek.

"Knock it off," I say as I push his hands away while I glare at him.

"Sui's always cute," Sakura said as she walked into the room. "But when would he be even cuter?" Immediatly a smile spread on my face.

"Gross," Koji snorted next to me. I didn't bother looking at him, thought. I just kept on watching her as she strode in.

"You just said he was cute. Didn't you?" Sakura growled.

"Well, not in the same way you meant it. I meant like a puppy. I am sure that you meant ways in which I don't want to think about," he grumbled. Sakura narrowed her eyes as she stuck out her tongue at him. Right then, thoughts went through my head that I knew Koji didn't want to hear about. Pushing those thoughts to the side I cleared my throat so that she would look to me.

"I can read," I smile as I held up the book.

"Really? That's great!" She beamed at me. "I wondered if you would remeber how to or not. That's so good!" Both sat there smiling at each other as Koji snorted.

"No, it's really great," I looked over to see him holding his hands up as he was staring wide eyed at Sakura. Then I looked to her to see glaring at him. A frown on her mouth as her nose flared.

"Anyways, I am glad that you are awake because I have some good news," she smiled widely as she turned to me. "I am going to have you discharged tonight after dinner. I mean you are good to go now, everything is fantastic, but I don't want you walking out to the sunlight. It may be a bit of a shock, ya know," she said as she sat down on the bed next to me. Her hands reached to my face and I could feel her chakra running into me.

"Well, that means I should probably find an inn," Koji sighed. I looked at Sakura's face with a raised brow. She moved her eyes to look at him before shaking her head lightly. Her bangs swung against her forehead.

"No, don't worry about it. I suppose Sui can stay in my room," she looked to me and winked.

"Uhhh," Koji began.

"things how old are you?" I sighed. I kept my eyes on Sakura's and I could see the amusement in them. "Need I remind you of all the times we went into the village and I would have to sit around waiting for you? Should we talk about that? At least you have room to go into, I just got to sit in a boat while you..."

"No, let's not talk about that. And it was only a few times," Koji grunted. One of Sakura's eyes began to squint a bit as she smirked at the information.

"A few times. More like I lost count around twenty-five," I said under my breath.

"I heard that man, and it is to be expected with a strapping young man such as myself," he yelled next to me.

It wasn't long until it was evening, but to be completely honest it couldn't come fast enough. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed that Koji was around but to be stuck with him in a small room where he was bored... I think it could get on anyone's nerves. So it was a relief when Sakura walked in saying that she was done with the medical stuff, that I didn't understand, and that we were good to go.

"So, the dinner that was on the menu was not edible," I said as I pushed my belonging into my bag, only having a little trouble with getting it in. "I was thinking that we could stop at the market on the way back and grab something I can make." I looked over to Sakura to see her pursing her lips and shaking her head.

"You are not cooking the night that you get out of the hospital! No, I have already planned that we would go out tonight. So we will stop by the apartment and get some clean clothes for you, and washed up and meet up with some people," She smiled wildly at me. My mouth fell down into a frown.

"I thought that we weren't going to broadcast that I was getting this done?" I ask as I scratched the back of my neck. My hair did feel a bit greasy and it could use a good scrubbing. The smile on her face fell as she looked at me.

"Well, it's just with my friends that you know. I mean, I know that I told Ino to keep it between us but the women could never one hundred percent keep a secret. Stop with the sour puss. It will be fun," She said as she grasped my head in her hands and pushed my cheeks up into a smile. I mean, I knew that people would know. I would be kidding myself if I didn't think they would. The only way I would be able to keep it to myself would be to lock myself in Sakura's apartment. Even if I wanted it that way I knew that she wouldn't. So I nod to her and continue my packing.

By the time we were out the door of the hospital it was already night. The moment we walked out I just had to stop and gawk. The village was so different from how I remembered it. The buildings were far taller and perhaps more modern? I wasn't sure since I had no idea of what modern architecture was like anymore. In the back of my mind I knew it would be different, but every time I thought Konoha it was the one of my childhood.

"It's probably a sight," Sakura said as she linked her arm through mine. I glanced at her for a moment before nodding and turning to look back to the street. There were flags strung between the building. They must have been left over from the celebration a few weeks before, lighting them from below were a series of red lanterns that illuminated the streets. And even thought it was night time it was still crawling with people.

There were so many people I was a bit taken back. Though, that also shouldn't come as a surprise. Since the end of the war, the Leaf became a popular place to visit and move. We had a constant stream travelers that came to the inn spoke of relocating or just vacationing here. Who wouldn't want to spend time in the village of the people that saved the world? "Alright, let's get going," Sakura said in a teasing tone while she squeezed my arm.

I just nodded as I let her drag me away. Ever once in a while, I would look over to see her just smiling as we walked, but for most of the time, I couldn't stop looking around. There were many new stores and shops, though, every once in a while I did see a sign of a place that had been open since my childhood. Even though it was a new sign it did bring comfort. , my old home. Oh, sweet jutsu! There is the dango stall Itachi and I use to go to all the time. As we walked by I looked to see and older woman smiling as she was handing a customer an order. The same lady. The same lady that use to serve us. She had a lot less color in her hair and lines on her face, but that was her. I was so engrossed at watching the her that Sakura had to pull me out of the way of walking into a passerby.

"Dude watch were you are going!" I knew that voice. I turned my head to see a boy with wild hair and just as wild eyes glaring at me. His mouth was pulled down into a frown, making the two red tattoos that adorned his cheeks pull down slightly.

"Sorry Kiba, just out sight seeing," Sakura laughed as she straightened me out. He was an Inuzuka... That's right, I have met this guy, Hanah's little brother.

"Yeah, well you really should look... Wait," He narrowed his eyes at me then quickly looked to Sakura. "Uh, so he didn't have eyes the last time I saw him," he looked at my quizzically as he scratched the back of his neck. Sakura let out an annoyed laugh.

"It's a miracle right," she grumbled. "I am surprised Ino didn't tell you. That is the reason he is visiting here. To get an eye transplantation."

"Ino didn't tell me that your blind friend was getting eyes. No. I don't think so, but you know that she talks so much... and I just don't pay attention to everything she says," He grinned sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulder. Fangs. He had fangs just like his sister and mother. "Anyways, congrats on the eyes Sui," he grabbed my shoulder and patted. "I guess I can get over you almost plowing me down." I smile awkwardly at him and nod my head.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I mumble just behind us Koji clears his throat.

"Oh, sorry Koji. This knucklehead is my friend Kiba. I am pretty sure that he is going to come out to the bar with us tonight?" She asked as she looked to Kiba who nodded.

"Yeah, Hinata said something about it this afternoon, I'll be there. You know I never turn down a reason to go to the bar." He smiles widely showing all of his teeth. He then looks behind Sakura and me to nod at Koji. "Nice to meet you Koji," Koji replies to the greeting, but before we could say anything else Sakura began to pull my arm.

"We'll see ya later tonight, Kiba. We are just going to go to my place and freshening up," She waves to him then continues to walk in the direction of her home. I try to watch where we were going but it was hard. There was so much to look at.

After nearly walking into a pole and several other people we finally made it back to Sakura's apartment. If I thought that there was a lot to look at on the street, it was nothing compared to her home. We walked into her small home and through the dim entryway. The moment it opened up to her living area I just had to stand there for a moment and take it all in. To the left was her small living room. The room was painted in a turquoise color, against the wall was a small couch was a bright purple couch with brightly color pillows tucked in the corner. In front stood a dark wooden coffee table that had a pile of books on one end. Under it was a fuzzy white carpet that looked like some type of animal pelt. Behind the couch was filled with framed pictures. In the corner, there was a short yellow bookcase filled with books and some other types of cases. On top was a small television. The wall it was propped against was filled with paintings. In the window that the couch faced hung all assortments of hanging plants.

To the right of me was a small dining area. There was another large window filled with plants. The walls now were a darker yellow, maybe a mustard color? On the walls, there were also a few shelves with potted plants. Next, to the plants, there was an array of weapons displayed. There were old looking kunai, tantos, tekkos. shurikens, kamas, even a kusarigama. The table was a normal dark wood table, but the chairs around it were painted different colors. The floor was bare hardwood besides the few potted plants that lined the room.

That room leads to the small kitchen. A place that I was more than familiar with. Well, I thought I would be familiar with. It was just a vibrant and bright as the other two rooms. The cabinets were painted a vibrant deep orange. The ones that held the dishware were glass showing all miss matched brightly colored dishes and cups.

"Yeah, I know. It is a lot to take in. Even if someone has been able to see for their whole lives," Sakura laughed light-heartedly. "I mean, I can work a pretty depressing job, whether it be of missions or at the hospital. I like to have a cheerful place to come home to. To give me light in even the darkest times," she shrugged as she walked further into the apartment and turned to look at me.

"There certainly is a lot to look at," I say as I kept scanning the place. I had never been in a place this colorful in my life. Not that I knew of that is. Certainly, this wouldn't be accepted in the Uchiha compound. Hell, there was one old lady that loved lawn art and the council had a meeting on whether to permit her statue collection. Koji just laughed as he walked in after Sakura.

"I don't know. It's homey. I mean you definitely put your mark on the place," he smirked as he looked at her. She just beamed back at him.

"Ok, well let's get ready. I just want to switch clothes, but I am sure that you probably want a shower?" She asked I looked at her and nod. A shower would definitely be nice. I wasn't able to wash up since the surgery. Well, besides when the nurses would clean... And that was just awkward.

"A shower would be great. Just let me put my bags somewhere, then give me twenty minutes or so and I'll be good to go." I say as I begin to walk down the hallway that separated the living room from the dining and kitchen area. Of course, there were painting and pictures adorned the walls.

"Just throw them in my room. I mean since Koji is staying in the other room and all," her voice carries through the hall. I couldn't help but smile as I heard a hint of embarrassment. That small fluctuation in her tone, it was cute.

I showered quickly. I try to ignore the brightly colored wall and trinkets that were all over. I could lose myself for hours in looking at the things in her tiny apartment. So I force myself to continue to get ready. There would be more than enough time for me to explore later. I went through my routine as always. Though, the only real difference was that I had to close my eyes to shave. I tried to look at my reflection, but it just made it more difficult. Perhaps when I had more time I would practice it. Then again, did it really matter if I had to look in the mirror? I suppose not. Once I was finished in the bathroom, I made my way into the guest bedroom. Granted, Sakura told me Koji was staying in there but I doubted that she moved my clothes.

Well, I found out that I did indeed look kinda like a hobo. I knew that my clothing had fit loosely, but I didn't think that they would hang off of my body like they did. I never wanted new clothes. I was fine with hand me downs from the others, who were clearly much larger than I was. I didn't want Noni going out of her way. Frowning I pulled out shirt after shirt. I tried to judge size by looking, but couldn't quite put together how it would look. So I tried each shirt on. Unfortunately, the kitten shirt actually fit the best. Sighing I settled for the second best. I suppose that I would need to go shopping sooner than later. It can be funny how quickly a little vanity can return after not caring for so long.

When I was walking out of the spare room, that is when it hit me. I didn't have shoes. I mean I stopped wearing the completely years ago. Now there wasn't a reason not to. As I thought about the idea of having my feet covered, I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine. I don't know if I would even be able to tolerate them. Sighing I shove my hands into my pockets and walk back out to living room.

"Oh, you ready already?" Sakura said as she stood from the sofa. I nodded at her with a smile. Both she and Koji seemed to be ready. As the stood to collect thier belonging as the prepared to leave. I let the two of the take the lead, but right before Sakura was about to walk out I gently grabbed her elbow.

"Hey, Sakura," I say as she turns her bright green eyes to me. "Do you think we could go shopping soon? I'll probably need shoes, and it might be good if I get some decent clothes," I ask quietly. I didn't want Koji to hear. I am sure he would rip on me for hours since he was so used to me saying that what I looked like didn't matter. Her lips turned up in a sly smile.

"Oh, definitely. I have been wanting to take you shopping since we got back." There was a glint in her eye and I couldn't tell if I should find comfort in it, or be afraid. "We'll go tomorrow, tonight we eat and drink." She said as she grabbed onto my hand and pulled me out the door.

Bars. It had seemed that bars had not changed in thirteen years. Not that I was a regular, as I was too young, but I would be sent to gather other ninjas, or deliver messages. The lighting was dim and the fixtures were all low hanging, smoke swirled around from some patrons sitting at the bar. The tables and bars were all glossy dark wood, with stools around them all. There was a wall filled with various liquor bottle and glasses.

Sakura pulled me over to a long table that was in the back. Instead of the stools, there were wood chairs lining it filled with people. I could hear them talking, and I knew their voices, but it was overwhelming trying to put the voices with the faces.

"Hey, guys have you ordered yet?" Sakura asked as she walked to a section of empty chairs. The crowd greeted her with a boisterous greeting.

"We did, don't worry, though. I got you. I ordered an extra appetizer platter for the three of you," Ino's voice came out of a blonde haired blue eyed girl. She smiled at Sakura until she made eye contact with me. Jumping from her chair she lunged towards me. The sudden movement startled me and I tried to take a step back. I was too slow, though. Her hands were on my face as she drew me into her. "Stop struggling I just need to see this. I haven't been by since your surgery was complete." I still in her hands. Her face was really close. Way too close. Her blue eyes narrowed as she looked me in the eye. Her lips were puckered as her brow drew down. It felt as if she was examining me for hours. "I hate to say it forehead. I mean, I really hate to say it. But you are amazing," she sighed as she let go of my face looking to Sakura with a grin. Sakura smiled widely as she winked to Ino. Suddenly she whipped her head to me and frowned. "And you. It's so damn unfair that your eyelashes are that gorgeous. And that eye color. Not fair," she pouted before slapping my face slightly and taking her seat. Sakura just leaned in and bumped her shoulder to mine.

"Told you so," she whispered.

"Wow. I thought that she was about to rip off your face for a moment," Koji laughed from behind.

"Hey! Don't you talk about me!" Ino yelled to Koji.

"Ino stop, be nice to Sui's brother," Sakura growled as she hit her on the top of her head.

"Brothers?"

After that Sakura introduced Koji to her friends and reintroduce me. The only people that were missing were Sakura's team. All had been sent out on individual missions. The rest of her people were there. It was nice putting a face to the voice. They were all enthralled with my eyes from a moment. All the attention did make me feel uncomfortable, but how often do you see someone without eyes get new ones? So I tried to let it go. After a while, the novelty of my new eyes wore off couldn't and they all began to act like they had during all the times we had been in their company. They were a fun group. Animated. Much more animated and almost carefree then many of the shinobi of my youth. It really was amazing to see after a war, after living the shinobi life they didn't seem jaded.

So we stayed at the bar for a good while, everyone laughing drinking and eating. My eye was always drawn back to Sakura. I have seen her smile, but this was different. Here with her friends, she was completely relaxed and her smile reached her eye. I am sure that I sat there with a stupid grin on my face because of her smile. Not that I was the only one. No, Koji also had a grin on his face as he was talking up the Ten ten girl. After a few hours, the gathering was broken up once the group decided that they wanted to challenge each other to a race around the village. Sakura excused us from it saying that she was exhausted and I shouldn't be flying around just yet. Koji wound up trailing after them or trailing behind Ten ten.

I didn't think that I had much to drink, but the fact that I was swaying a bit as we walked home was proving me wrong. Stumbling, we fell through the door of her apartment. The moments it was shut Sakura pushed me to the door and began to kiss me.

"I know it hasn't been that long but I missed this," she breathed as she broke the kiss. Before I could even respond she took my hand and pulled me into her room. The magenta color of the walls and the small gold lanterns that hung from the ceiling whirled around me as she placed me on her bed and straddled me. A sly smirk pulled on her lips as she looked down at me. "I really did miss having you here," she whispered as she placed her lips on mine. The surprise of the first kiss had begun to wear off and I was able to fully enjoy her. Her lips were so soft against mine, and I could taste the sweet sake as her tongue swept into my mouth. I had missed this also. At some point, my hands were on her hips my fingers gripping into her. I wanted her so much right now. Though this isn't how I imagined the first time we were together once I gained my sight.

I broke this kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were still shut, pink dusted over her cheeks and her lips looked a bit swollen. Shyly she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. My hand reached out and cupped her cheek to which she leaned into. "We should wait," I said slowly and hesitantly. Pulling away from my hand she looked at me with wide eyes.

"Why?" She asked before her brow furrowed down. Quickly she reached out and placed her hand on my forehead. "Is it because you don't feel well? Is there something wrong?" I felt the warmth of her chakra begin to seep in. Reaching up I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and drew her back. I smiled at her as I shook my head, which made her glare at me.

"No, I feel fine. It's just that I'm a little drunk. I don't want the first time to see you, all of you, to be clouded." The stern look on her face melted away as she began to smile at me. Let's be honest here, that was the only thing that was stopping me. Because the feeling of her on me, the way she smelled, the way she looked... It was ridiculously hard to stop.

"Is it odd that I think that is one of the sweetest things someone has said to me?" She laughed as she adjusted her weight on me. That didn't help my resolve. "You know I can help you out with that. Would you like me to?" She said looking down at me with her lids half shut. She looked just like how I pictured the women in Icha Icha looking at their loves. I raised a brow as I look up.

"You can help me?" I say the words slowly.

"Mmm hmmm," she replied by once again shifting her thighs. She was doing this to drive me insane. That must have been it.

"How?" my voice was rough as I asked. Smiling widely she began to run her hands from my neck down my sides and finally stopping near the small of my back. Lifting my shirt and putting her hands on my skin she released her chakra. "What? What are you doing?" I asked as I felt her reaching deep into me.

"Just giving your kidneys and liver a little boost. There should only be a trace amount of alcohol in your system in a few moments," She said as she put Without lips to my lower neck at the junction where it connected with my shoulder. The feeling caused me to take a quick intake of breath and forced my eyes closed. "It would just be a shame to have to wait another minute, don't you agree?" Her breath fanned on my skin as she spoke. I nodded as a groan left my throat. The moment she was done she straightened her body and once again placed her lips on mine.

We made slow love that lasted from hours. My mouth and hands explored her body as I was able to see every curve of her skin. She really is amazing. The dancing of her muscles under her skin, the way her chest rose and fell as she panted under me, the dusty pink nipples that were erect with her excitement, the way her ivory skin turned pink as she reached climax, the way her light pink hair darkened slightly as it became slick with her sweat. Everything was perfect. Even the battle scars she adorned. There weren't many, but they just made her even sexier. Watching her lips pant out and whisper my name over and over again, I finally knew. I knew that I was in love with her. She was my everything. This moment was everything and I didn't want it to end. It did, though, and life continues on. All we can really do is to keep those moments close to our heart.

Daily life had become very simple, and it was amazing. It had been a little over a week sine I had regained sight, and while I still stared at a lot of things, which annoyed Koji, it really was something else how quickly everything came back. It's like I had sight my whole life. The only problem that I still had was some depth perception, but Sakura assured me that it would come in time. As I relearned how to use sight she was also there making sure that everything was adapting properly. Thankfully it was. It would have been a cruel joke to be able to see again then have to go back into the blackness.

During the week there weren't any proclamations of love. Though I wanted to, I just didn't want to come off as some love sick teenager. And I really did feel that way. I did have a tendency to over think it, though. I wondered if it was lust or love. Was it love because of what she had done for me? Then Koji would come around and yell at me to calm the hell down. I had always looked at Koji as my loud mouthed little brother, but the amount that he had grown and matured really was showing through. Hell, he even came shopping with us and wasn't a jerk about it. Which was an even bigger surprise.

"Ok, how about a change?" Sakura asked as she sipped her coffee. Koji and I turned to look at her to see a little smirk on her lips. "Kakashi-sensei, Yamato, and Sai are back in the village. How about a spar?" She said looking up at me. My brows raised. A spar. She hadn't let me do any intensive training besides sit ups and push ups. I was begining to get a bit restless. Koji stood quickly making his chair fall back as he smiled at her.

"Oh, hell yeah! And your asshole team leader is there! I have been wanting to pumle him!" He beamed as he looked down at as.

After explaining to him that he wasn't allowed to majorly injure Kakashi, we made our way to the training fields. Apparently, Sakura had already sent out the message that they were to meet there since all three were waiting. And not waiting patiently it seemed.

"We have been here for a half an hour, Sakura," Yamato grumbled as we walked up. I know that I was awkwardly staring for a moment, but this was the first time that I saw the man. He honestly was a little more rugged than I had imagined. I don't know why I thought that. Perhaps because he was the one that had the most tact out of the group.

"It really inconsiderate, Hag," Sai said while crossing his arms. I hadn't seen him yet and the specter insult that Koji used against the guy was fully appropriate. He may glow in the dark with how pale he was.

"Ah, sorry I didn't mean to give you guys the time that I gave Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said with a nervous smile as she scratched the back of her neck. To that Kakashi just sighed and shook his head.

"Well, we are ready to go. Since we have been waiting for you," Yamato sighed. "Just be sure not to give us Kakashi's special time anymore."

We split into teams. Agreeing that we would play a version of hide and seek. We would split and go to the other side of the training grounds then either hide or try and find the other team. The team I had consisted of Koji and Sai. I knew that there was no way Sakura would put herself on my side. Figuring that Sakura would want to spar with me.

"Hey, before we split," Koji raised his hands and turned to Sakura's team. "You," he pointed to Yamato. "Do you use spiders? Because that is a major no go for me. No spiders got it?" He narrowed his eyes at the wood user who looked back to him with a raised brow.

"No," Yamato said slowly. Koji gave a satisfied nod and with that, each team went their separate ways.

Once we were out of earshot of the other group we cleared who it was that we would be going after. Koji spoke up first claiming his target. It was mutually agreed that Sakura would be after me, and that left Sai with Yamato. From there the three of us broke. I hid because I knew she would be seeking me. Once I was a good distance away, I perched myself up in a tree and waited.

It didn't take her long to find me. Though, I knew she was coming long before. I could feel her chakra charging at me. Even though I knew it was coming, I waited in the tree until the moment her fist slammed into it making it descend to the ground. Then I jumped down to see her smiling at me. Her fist raised glowing with chakra.

"Found you," She said as she charged at me. We fought and fought hard. I felt that I made more mistakes than I usually did. It was harder to fight with sight and with shoes on my feet. My body was so accustomed to searching everything out with chakra. It was like as if I was overloaded. I tried to pay attention to it, but also use my eyes. My brain had a hard time connecting the two. It helped a little when I threw my sandals off, and I would also try and close my eyes just to get my barrings. I just couldn't keep them shut. No, because I liked watching her fight. It wasn't exactly graceful. She tended to charge and use blunt attacks. Though it was beautiful to me. I knew that I was biased as hard as I fell for her, I would probably think everything she did was beautiful. Including when she was screaming and yelling. Like she did when she didn't land her last blow.

"Gah! Why! Why is it that all the men I know look like they are freaking ballerina dancers when they fight?" She huffed as she stumbled from her misplaced throw. "I mean I can see you are having trouble, but guess what, you hop around the field with even more grace. I mean I just..."

"Charge around like a rhino," I laughed as I wiped the sweat from my brow. She narrowed her green eyes as she tried to hit me again. "It's not a bad thing. I mean you are a really good fighter. You just have your own style," I say as I avoid the blow. Before she could move back I wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her in close. "You are extremely graceful, though. Especially when your hips sway against mine," I look down at her to see her looking up to me with a shy smile. "And when we make love you move in the most stunning ways," I say as my hands move to her hips as I guide her back until she was against a tree. "Can I tell you how much I love that I am the only one who can see you move like that?" I whisper against her ear as I press my body against her. As I spoke her breath became ragged, and I knew it wasn't from the spar.

"We are supposed to be sparing," she breathes as she pushed her hips into mine.

"We can take a time out," I smile as I move my lips to hers. The air suddenly filled with electricity. It wasn't from the moment we were sharing.

Something was approaching, and quickly. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I felt the anger and rage in the chakra that was snapping around us. It had been a long time since I felt something like this. This was beyond blood lust or murderous intent. With out a word, I turn quickly keeping her behind me. I can hear her protest, but I am not paying attention to her. Not because I don't want to, but because a hazy purple figure was beginning to form over the tree tops. It only took a few seconds for it to fully materialize. There, charging straight at us was a fully formed Susanoo.

My eyes went wide as I looked up to it, and that's when I felt the sting in them. I knew I my instincts had activated my sharingan as green energy began to consume me. I heard Sakura's sharp intake of breath. I glanced back to make sure she was alright, but all I saw was her staring in horror. Not the green energy that was forming the Susanoo, but at me. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was parted open. I wanted to stop. I wanted to explain everything. I couldn't, because it was still approaching fast, and I doubt whoever it was controlling it would give me the time. Not with the rage that was oozing off of it. I would have to talk with her later. I just had to make sure that she was safe right now. With a grimace, I turned my attention back to the purple behemoth that was bounding toward me and let my Susanoo finish emerging.

 **AN**

 **I am so sorry for just disappearing on you. I'll let you know what was going on. If you have no interest in my personal life, go ahead and skip this section. It's cool. Well first, it was the holiday and that's just a super busy time fore me. Then I had a cyst on my ovary blow and the fluid filled my stomach cavity. This was similar to what had happened before, but that was a slow leak that they could remove. It was too late for this one. It blew like a bomb causing me to go sepsis. I was forced to spend time in the hospital with IV's hooked up to get rid of the infection. As a result of the infection my left ear swelled pretty much shut, causing massive vertigo. Any time I moved, read, wrote, watched TV, basically lived I got nauseous and the world spun. That lasted for over a month. Just recently fully clearing up.**

 **I don't want to sound like a Debbie downer. Because even though that crap happened I am lucky. It could have been worse.**

 **Another plus is I did have this chapter done before all that BS. I was in the middle of editing it. So here we go. I don't feel as if it was the best chapter, more of a transition to the next arch. I wish I could just jump into what I have planned, but I feel it would have been too rushed. So lots of talking. I can't wait to post the next one ;)**

 **Thank you all for your patience and reviews. They do mean really so much. Thank you again. I will be updating soon.**


	25. Chapter 25

My Susanoo had just fully formed when the other was on top of me. He was already striking at me with massive katana. I moved to block it, as I heard Sakura screaming below me. I glanced down to see her looking up at the two of us. Her mouth moving quickly as he face was becoming red. Damn it, I should have brought her with me. Why didn't I think about that? Before I could even think to pick her up the other Sasunoo was striking at me again. I glared at it, trying to look at the person that was hovering in it. Who the hell was this?

I couldn't think about that, though, because they were clearly out to destroy me. I couldn't even stop for a minute to scream to Sakura to move back because of the speed they were unleashing their blows. There wasn't even a moment for me to strike back. If I knew this was coming I would have been better prepared. I didn't have any warning what so ever. The only thing that I had been focused on was Sakura. I clenched my teeth, using a Sasunoo was awkward after all this time. Not to mention that it was not something I had used too many time when I had my eyes. After not activating it in over a decade I was rusty and the green form was moving in a clumsy manner. It was taking all my concentration to move the beast quick enough to block and avoid the blows.

The one thing that was clear to me was: I needed to move this fight. We were close to the village, too close to Sakura, and her teammates. It was going to be hard, though, there weren't many openings that I could take. There was little I could do besides try and move from defense to offense. I had to push them back. There weren't many openings, though, and the speed was almost unrealistic. But even the best fighter will slip up, I had to remind myself. I just had to be sure to take it the moment it happened.

The other Susanoo kept swinging his massive katana, and I was blocking most of the blows. I could feel the force within mine. The energy around me vibrated with each hit. I gnashed my teeth as I began to strike back. There! He went to block my blade and I moved to kick him in the middle. I watched as it began to fold in the middle and was pushed back with the force. It wasn't as far as I would have liked, but I would take it. We would still be in the training fields. The plus side was that we were moved to the very outer edge of the village's border.

Bounding over the trees I followed them and they stepped back. I peered at the man in the beast. He was snarling at me as his Susanoo straightened. I was still too far, the haze of the Susanoo was making it difficult to see the details of his face. Not that I had much time to really look at him. The rage that was rolling off of him intensified and he came back after me. That's when I saw the black flames begin to form as it went after my Susanoo. I cursed as I realized it was the Amaterasu. I quickly move out of the way to avoid the flames from making contact. What the hell were they thinking to let that shit lose?!

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" A voice screamed out of the other Susanoo. I look at the man who was still snarling at me. He seemed to be panting as he moved his Sasunno closer. Before I could even answer him he swung his katana at me again. "HOW DO YOU HAVE THAT CHAKRA?" I blocked the blow as I grit my teeth. Was it really too much to ask for a moment to answer a question before the attack continued? The man screamed a maddening sound as he continued the assault.

Suddenly I felt an electric shock run through my body as it came together who this was. How was I so stupid? Perhaps it was because I was more invested in living then putting two and two together. There were only two of us that I knew still lived. Sasuke. It had to be him. I forced my body to move as he came at me again. What I really couldn't understand was why it was he yelling about my chakra. He was young, a mere boy when I tried to kill myself. There was no way he could remember how my chakra felt.

"Stop!" I yell, but he wasn't listening. His rage was so consuming that he was basically in a berserker trance. This wouldn't end until one of us was taken down. I needed to subdue him. But how? He was stronger, I knew it. There was no questioning that. He also had better control of his Sasunoo. Before I could even formulate a plan there was another massive amount of chakra coming at us. That was just my luck.

Behind Sasuke, there was a bright yellow form closing in. This one didn't have the rage of Sasuke. It was bright, it was warm, it was monstrous at the same time. It was like the sun. It was like Naruto. That's when I saw the fox form emerge. Sasuke's Susanoo took a step back as the fox was about to collide with him. Suddenly the two became one. The armor of the Susanoo fit against the fox as if they were always meant to be. My eyes were wide as watched it happen. There was no way I could go against this. None at all. The hybrid Susanoo moved and prepared to strike. I knew that there was no way that I could move fast enough to avoid them. So I went into a defensive stance.

I wouldn't survive this. I knew it. My chakra was running low. I knew my Susanoo form was about to dissipate. Even if it was full strength I doubt it would matter. Everything slowed around me. The arms of my Susanoo rising, the way that the other was pulling back to release a blow. It was as if every second was stretched out to an hour. The only thing that was still racing was my mind. Sasuke was going to kill me. There was nothing I could do about it. These men were the two that took down the mother of chakra. I was nothing compared to that. A flea. My eyes began to slowly fall as I awaited my fate. My mind flashed images of Sakura, Noni, Koji, Yosh, Hisako, Goro, Yumma and Itachi. I also remembered the young boy Sasuke used to be. Nothing about the man resembled that child. Gone was the boy that use to tell me how much greater his brother was then I was. I would never see that boy again. My eyes finally shut tightly as I prepared for the end.

"Naruto! What are you doing?! Just finish it!" The angry voice of Sasuke rang in my ears. I opened my eyes to see the blade of the Susanoo a mere few feet away from me. Halted before it could make contact.

"Sasuke stop that's Sui!" Naruto yelled from within the beast. "He's not our enemy!"

"I don't care who he is. He has the same chakra Danzo had!" I could see the struggle as I watched the blade in front of me tremble. All I could do was stare at it with wide eyes.

"Listen, I don't know what you are talking about, but this man isn't an enemy," Naruto began. I couldn't make out the rest of it because the blood began to pound in my ears, and the pressure began to build in my eyes. I felt the blood start to roll down from the corners. I had overused my eyes and chakra. I had to release my Susanoo, this was as long as I could go with it. I dismissed the armored giant and let myself fall.

I landed on uneasy feet. I panted from using so much chakra. It had been such a long time, I had forgotten how much of a strain it was. I looked up to see that the fox and Susanoo were still joined. Still froze in a striking position. It was truly a beautiful terrorizing sight. Within a few seconds, the hybrid began to disappear as both Sasuke and Naruto fell. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't think that I would be alive at the moment.

I stood still as Sasuke charged at me. He grabbed me by the collar and slammed my body into a tree. He was taller than I was. I looked up to him as he stared down at me. Sharingan glowing red in one eye with the ringed rinnegan in the other. "Who the hell are you?" He growled as he slammed me against the tree again. The blow was forceful enough to knock the air out of my lungs and black spots swirled in my eyes. I couldn't answer him because it was hard to take a breath. He repeated the action again. At this point, I didn't think that he was even looking for an answer. He was still full of rage.

Naruto was soon on him pulling him back. I fell to the ground coughing and wheezing as I tried to form words. Sasuke was still screaming at me as he was being pulled back. I closed my eyes and I could feel all the chakra that was coming here. More than likely Anbu and other shinobi, I thought to myself as I struggled to stand. I opened my eyes, as I slowly began to straighten myself. My eyes went wide as I looked to Naruto... He was the spitting image of the Fourth. It took me a minute to realize it wasn't Minato. His face was drawn with worry as he held on Sasuke's arm. While my not so little cousin was staring at me like he was still about to kill me. I coughed again to try and talk, but it came out as a hoarse grunt.

"Sui!" I heard yelling coming from the trees behind me. I turned my head to see Sakura, Yamato, and Sai running towards us. Immediatly relief rolled through me seeing them all safe. Though that moment only lasted for a split second as I was suddenly knocked to the ground and my arms pulled behind my back. Over my shoulder, I saw a glimpse of a white mask and black hood. I could feel the chakra as the other ANBU descended on the scene. I didn't fight it. It would have done nothing besides start a battle. They were only doing their jobs. I could hear Sakura yelling followed by Yamato telling her not to do anything. I could only assume that he was holding her back as it sounded like she was struggling. Everything had now changed. I didn't know what was going to happen from here out. I struggled a bit to look in the direction that Sakura had come from, and I was right. Yamato was holding her back, but she wasn't fighting anymore. She was just staring at me with wide eyes. I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to say anything, but my voice wasn't coming to me. I am pretty sure it wasn't due to the blows anymore either. A tight knot formed in my stomach as I looked at her. Shock was all over her face. I could also see the tears that were forming in her eyes. I had caused this for her. I had caused this pain.

The ANBU who was perched on my back shifted his weight as I felt him put cuffs around my wrist. The moment they closed I could feel my chakra begin to slow to a sluggish speed. He was saying something but I was ignoring it. I just was looking to Sakura.

"Koji! Stop!" I heard a voice come from the other side. It was Kakashi. I forced my head to turn to see Koji barreling towards us. His face was distorted with anger as he ran.

"Get the fuck off of him!" He screamed as he ran closer. Everyone looked to him, and that's when I saw him reaching up to start his hand signs.

"Koji! No," I screamed as loud as I could. I tried to buck the ANBU off of my back, but they wouldn't budge. Koji was about to do something stupid, I needed to stop him. There was no reason that he should be pulled into this mess. " **STAND DOWN DAMN IT**!" I screamed. But that asshole never really listened to me in the first place. Why would I think that he would now?

" **GATES OF HELL**!" Koji screamed as he finished the series of hand signs. All I could do was watch in awe as he released his most destructive jutsu. Four large columns of flames emerged, all twisting and spinning wildly. I couldn't see everything from the angle I was at, but I could hear the cries of surprise and yells of anger as the fire spun through the ANBUs. I had felt the heat from this before. Now that I could see it, it felt as if it burned fiercer. Perhaps it did. I had only been present when he was training with it and not using it during a battle. I looked back to see him still running towards me. This time he had shurikens in his hand and was throwing them desperately at the attacking ANBU. I screamed at him to stop again but he again didn't listen.

My heart raced as I thought they were going to kill him. There would be nothing to stop them, not the way he was attacking everyone. Bile rose in my throat as I saw kunai fly at him and embed themselves in his skin. It didn't stop him, though, like the moron he was he just kept on running. I could hear Sakura, Yamato, and Sai yelling for him to stop also. He wouldn't though. He was close enough that I could see the madness in his eyes. He couldn't hear anything.

Suddenly Kakashi appeared next to him and it made me want to scream. The man wasn't just famous for having the Uchiha eyes. He was also known for the force he would use on his appointments. If he thought that Koji was a threat...

He didn't. He didn't Kill him. He placed one blow. I could smell the ozone, but it wasn't strong. It looked as if he used lightning to stun him. The moment Kakashi touched, Koji immediatly fell to the ground. I could see his fingers twitching in his hand. Even though I didn't think that he was dead I couldn't help but cry out his name.

As quick as he hit the ground an ANBU with a bird mask was on him placing cuff. He really was alive, with that thought, I let go of a breath that I had been holding. I was watching Koji so intently, that I didn't notice Kakashi had made his way to me until his sandaled feet stood in front of my face. I looked up the man to see him looking down at me. His eyes were hard as they looked at my face.

"Well, I guess this is your official _welcome_ home. Uchiha Shisui," He said in a flat voice. My stomach dropped at his words. He knew. How long did he know? I heard Sakura gasp and I turned my head to her. She stood with Yamato, Sai, Naruto and right next to her was Sasuke. They both were looking at me with wide eyes.

"U..chi..ha...Shi..sui," She said slowly. Before I could even answer her, everything was suddenly black. An ANBU had covered my head with a chakra resistant cloth. Once again I was in the darkness.

Without a word, I was drug to my feet. I didn't fight. I didn't have any reason to fight. So I walked, guided by ANBU, silently. I didn't know where we were going. It didn't matter because the only thing that I could think of has the look that Sakura had when she looked at me. Sure there was shock, but there was also so much hurt in them. It was also the same with Sasuke. I should have never left the island. It was better that I stay there, secretly living then to bring pain to either of them. Not to mention Koji. I listened for him as I shuffled my feet, but I didn't hear a peep from him. I could only think that he was still knocked out. I swallowed thickly as the silence seemed to swallow me.

"What is going on here?" A woman yelled after I think that we entered an office. I don't know where we are. I had no chakra. I was blind as the day I had lost my eyes. They walked me in and forced me to my knees, which I took without a fight.

"Ma'am, I am sure you are aware of the disturbance at team seven training ground?" A voice spoke up. I just knelt there with my head bowed down. I heard a growl before a hand slamming down on something.

"Yes, I know. but what happened?" The woman snapped. The Hokage, that is who she was. "And you! Get that look off of your face brat!" She yelled. I wondered for a moment if it was Naruto there, or perhaps Sasuke.

" _Whatever_ are you talking about Hokage-sama?" Kakashi. It was Kakashi apparently looking at her.

"Don't even start with me Hatake!" She yelled. "And someone tell me what the hell happened. Also, take that bag off of his head!"

"Hokage-sama, are you sure? This person seems to have the ability of the Uchiha," a nameless voice spoke.

"Take it off! He has cuffs on! They will make anything he were to attempt weak. Don't even bother explaining, I'll figure it out myself," She growled. The bag slipped off of my head. I didn't look up. I blinked and kept my eyes on the floor.

"Look up at me brat," I let out a deep breath as I lifted my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Koji was kneeling next to me looking forward. I looked up to her honey eyes that were burning down at me as she stood in front of me. Her mouth was in a tight line as one brow raised. Her nose flared as her eyes scanned over my face.

"Tell me what you legal, birth given names are," she then looked to Koji. "You go first"

"My birth name was Sato Koji. My legal name is now Maki Koji," Koji said flatly.

"You," the Hokage asked as she pointed to me. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at me.

"My birth and legal name is Uchiha Shisui," I say with no inflection in my voice. I forced myself to keep eye contact. Her eyes narrow further as she lifts a brow.

" _Uchiha_?" She asks. I don't move or make a sound. She was probably talking more to herself than anyone. She then let out a snort, one that sounded an awful a lot like Sakura. "Uchiha's. They are like cockroaches," she said staring at me.

"Tsunade-sama!" A woman yelled from behind her. Her hair was brown and in a bob and for some reason, she was clutching onto a pig.

"Oh, come on Shizune. They are! Right, when you think there aren't any left, they come out of hiding," she yelled back to the woman. I couldn't help my brows raise. I honestly didn't know how to take that. "Uchiha Shisui. The name sounds familiar."

"Shisui of the body flicker," Kakashi spoke up from behind. I watched as she looked up, I assumed, at Kakashi. Her eyes narrowed for a moment then they went wide. She looked back down at me. Then back to Kakashi. "Uchiha Shisui that AO spoke of?"

"I assume," Kakashi replied flatly.

"You have been declared dead for over a decade," She glared at me. I still don't answer as I look at her. I don't know really how to respond. "Where exactly have you been this whole time?" I heard Koji snort next to me. I glanced in his direction to see him shaking his head. I looked back to the Hokage to see her glaring at him. "You have something to say?"

"Yeah, he was living with me at an inn," He growled as he glared at him.

"Watch your tone boy," Tsunade growled as she crossed her arms over her chest. Koji growled right back at her.

"I don't have to watch anything _Hokage,_ I am not in the wrong," the was a stillness that falls in the room and I feel my stomach twist at his tone. "You see I am not a part of this village. I am not a part of the reason that Sui lost his eyes or tried to kill himself. No, I was a part of the family that healed him, gave him a place to stay and gave him a reason to live!" Koji yelled. Once he was finished he was glaring at the Hokage panting. Tension filled the air from all around us.

"Koji, stop," I say looking forward my eyes on the ground. "You don't understand what happened, you don't under..."

"Understand what?!" He yelled at me. I slowly turned my head to see his heated glare on me. "Understand that you were terrified to come back here? That you think they are going to kill you?!" I just look at him. He was digging a hole and I knew it.

"You! Knock it off and be quite!" Tsunade yelled at Koji. "You, explain," she said as she pointed a bright red painted nail at me. I look up to her and sigh.

"Danzo attempted to obtain my eyes. After he did, he was planning on murdering me. He wasn't successful, though. At least not fully. He did take out one of my eyes, but couldn't get the other before I fled. He sent his agents out after me. Koji was correct. At that point, I did try to kill myself. My attempt was obviously a failure," I said as if I were reciting a mission report. Well, at least the short-handed version of a mission report. Her face had lost the hardness it had but held no emotion.

"Danzo..." she said in almost a whisper. She looked at me for a long minute with cautious eyes. "What is going on here, is not something as Hokage I can make a brash decision on. I have a feeling that there is much more going on here then what you have said. That is if it is indeed true. Not to mention what has happened here today," She looked over to Koji with a raised brow, then once again turned her attention to me. "I need to meet with the council and decide the next step to take from here. For now, take them and incarcerate them," Tsunade said as she looked to the men behind us. "Bind his eyes for now," she added as she looked down at me.

"Incarcerate? For what?" Koji yelled.

"For what? You isolate little brat! Did you not take part in a fight in the Hidden Leaf and attack my shinobi?" She growled. "I suggest you learn when to keep your mouth shut boy!" She growled as she looked down at him. I quickly glared at him, hoping that he would look over at me. No such luck. He just kneeled before her glaring.

"Oh, so we are getting thrown in jail for defending ourselves? For fuck's sake, That purple samurai was the one coming after Sui. What should he have done?" He yelled and attempted to stand. Before he could, though, there was an ANBU operative behind him shoving him to the ground. "This is bullshit!" He cried as his face became flush with the floor.

"KOJI!" I yelled. I could feel everyone tense at my volume. "CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" I glared at him. He looked to me with a knitted brow as his eyes narrowed in confusion. "You need to just be quiet for right now. You are not making anything better with you outbursts," I say with a stern voice. His eyes went wide as he looked at me. I hadn't ordered him around like this since before the war. Usually, when I did it was to protect them, or when I was going to do something I didn't want them to know about. He took a deep breath in through his nose, it flaring as he looked to me. I knew he didn't like the idea, but he was going to dig a hole that was going to be too deep for him to climb out of. His lips tightened as they went into a line.

"Fine," He ground out between his teeth before he rolled his eye to look away from me.

"Take them and place them in the holding cells. Be sure the chakra restraints stay on, and also make sure the "Uchiha," has blinders on. We will not be taking any chances with him," The Hokage's words were strong and she stared down at me. A few seconds after the command my world was once again black.

We were walked down to the holding cells that were located within the Hokage tower. I was a bit surprised, I would assume that we would be placed in the basement. That was a place that houses the most serious ninja criminals that had been obtained by the Leaf. Not that I was complaining. If I was going to be bound, blind, and not have access to any chakra, there was no way that I wanted to be sitting next to basically what amounted to the criminally insane.

We were both walked into separate cells. From the sound of it, Koji had been placed into one that was diagonal from my own. Both doors closed at the same time and the loud thunk of metal on metal echoed through the area. I sighed as I realized that I was alone, and tried to figure out where everything was located. I guess it was a good thing that the cells its self was tiny.

"Ah, these are some great accommodations," Koji snorted as I could hear metal creaking. I took it that he was sitting on his cot, while I didn't have a clue where mine was located.

"Well, you could have saved yourself a stay if you would have kept your mouth shut and not got in the middle of it," I hissed to him as I turned in the direction of his voice. My mouth was pulled into a frown as the words fell from them. I didn't know if he was able to see me, but the lower part of my face was the only thing that was open to the world. A dry laugh came out of his cell.

"Right. That's rich coming from you. I mean you are the one that was always getting into other people's business and trying to defend them. I mean if it was happening to me, what would you have done? Sat there and watched? The fuck you would have. You would have done the exact same thing. I mean even without your eyes, you would have flown in like a nightmare on the wind, and don't even try to say you wouldn't because that would be an epic pile of bullshit," Koji growled at me. I didn't say a thing. I knew he was right. Instead, I took in a deep breath and tried to feel for a cot or a chair. Once I was pretty sure I had located the bed I threw myself down on it wth a huff.

It was quite for a few moments and I didn't find that I needed to fill it. Instead, I just sat there with my head bowed and let the silence consume me.

"I did take out like sixteen of them," Koji said softly. My head shook as I let out a small laugh. Of course, he would focus on something like that.

"It was actually fifteen," A voice drawled from nearby. I knew that I have heard it before, I just couldn't bring myself to care who it was. Koji snorted from his cell at the correction and everything once again grew silent.

We were held for days. No one came to inform us what was going to take place. The only interaction that we had was with the guards. None of them seemed overly hostile, but I did take note that most were high-level jonin. They really weren't taking any chances. Koji got along great with them. His temper had calmed from being detained and he was able to talk with the shinobi. Immediatly he took a liking to Genma. Even had him spit that senbon of his several times. We weren't being treated like nuke nins, perhaps it was due to the strange circumstances.

While the guards acted in a personable manner, the actual containment was driving me insane. My hands remained bound behind my back and I still had blinders on. I had only a week and some change with sight, now I hadn't seen anything besides black for over two days. In a way, it was like drowning.

"Oh, look here they sent the asshole," Koji said sarcastically from his cell. I could hear the footsteps approach, but I didn't know who it was he was talking about. I had lost the ability to read chakras once the cuffs were placed.

"Good afternoon to you, Koji," Kakashi drawled as he walked closer. I once again remained silent. Chatting with the guards was something that Koji would do to pass the time.

"You know, I would have been able to take you in that spar if the whole chakra monster thing didn't happen." I heard some creaking coming from his cell along with the sound of him hitting something soft. I assumed that he was laying down again adjusting the paper thin pillow we both had. It seemed that they had allowed him to have his cuffs in the front of his body.

"I am sure you could have," Kakashi said in a bored tone. Koji just grunted and became quite. It seemed my adoptive brother had more of an issue with Kakashi then I had. I just sighed and leaned back against the wall, my shoulders aching from being in such a twisted position for so long. Kakashi chuckled lightly, then I could hear his clothes scrape against each other which was followed by the sound of pages in a book being flipped.

After a while I could hear the soft snores of Koji echo through the hall. I had tried to find sleep myself, but it would only come in small spurts seeing how I was so uncomfortable. Not to mention just having a member of both Sakura's and Sasuke's team had my mind running more than it had been.

"How are they?" I finally asked a few hours into Kakashi's shift.

"Hmm?" He replied in a flippant manner that had me clenching my jaw. Like he didn't know who it was I was speaking of.

"Sakura and Sasuke," I growled as I turned my head.

"Ah, them. I suppose that they are doing fine. I am not one that many, if any, seek out for comfort. I have not heard anything. Though, it has been a bit of a circus since you made your official appearance," his voice was still lazy as he spoke and I could hear him turn the page of his book. Under my hood, I was glaring in his direction. He had been the only one that had guarded us that could give me any answers. I scowled as I turned my head.

"You knew." It wasn't a question. Just a fact. I turned my head back in the direction to wait for an answer, which didn't come quickly. Instead for a few moments, there was nothing. Not the sound of him breathing, or moving or turning the page of the book.

"Yes." Was all he said to me. I waited a little longer, but still, he didn't reply.

"How? When?" I asked to break the silence. He let out a sigh and his feet scraped against the floor.

"I had my suspicions from day one. I didn't know who you were, but I did know that something was off. From there it was little flickers of what you said, what you did that lead me to my conclusion," He sighed. My lips pursed as he spoke. I had a feeling that was all he was going to say. It was. We spent the rest of the night in silence.

The guard changed first thing in the morning. The only reason I assumed it was morning was because the smell of coffee still hung on him as he entered. Kakashi and the new guy had a few brief words before they switched stations. Koji still was slumbering which lead me to just sitting there. I wondered how much longer this could go on. I was pretty sure that I might lose my arms if I was kept shackled like this for much longer.

Long before another shift was due to change the sound of footsteps filled the hallway. Whoever it was walking slowed as they approached the cell. For a moment I couldn't help that my heart squeezed hoping that it was Sakura. There was so much I wanted to say to her. I didn't even know if she would listen to me. So I sat motionless in my cell waiting for the new comer to say something, anything. I couldn't even depend on Koji as he was still snoring away.

"Would you like some time?" The guard asked. There was a grunt of reply before I could hear him walk away. The newcomer walked slowly as they approached my cell and I could hear their feet drag on the ground as I assumed they were looking in my cell. The only movement that came from me was the slight raise of my brow.

"As head and sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, it is my responsibility to inform you that impersonating a deceased member is not tolerated." His voice was deep and flat. It was the complete opposite that I had remember from Sasuke when he was a child. He was always light-hearted and animated.

"You sound just like your father," I said before I could even stop myself. There was no response from this man who was now very clearly a stranger to me.

"I have been informed that you claim to be Uchiha Shisui." Again the voice held no emotion in it as it spoke. Licking my lips I turned my head.

"That is my birth name," I replied to him. I have thought of what it would be like to be in my little cousin's presence many times, and this is nowhere near what I had in mind. It was always excitement to see each other, not this. Never like this. There was a small hum that left him before it was once again a strained silence.

"If you are found to be impersonating a clan member the penalty could cost you your life," he said. I shook my head and let out a sigh.

"Sasuke-kun..."

"Don't speak with me with familiar terms." This time his voice wasn't flat. No, he was basically growling at me. I pulled my lips in and took a breath through my nose.

"Good for me I am not impersonating anyone," I breathed. Even without the use of chakra, I could feel him glaring at me.

"We will see," He said. Another pause and I could hear him begin to walk away. He only made it a few steps though before he halted. "If you are indeed a Uchiha, the outcome may not be different. This clan will not tolerate members that have abandoned them," he said cooly and continued on his way. At that, I felt both of my brows raised. I was just threatened by my baby cousin.

"Your little cousin seems like a peach," Koji said roughly as I heard his sheets and bed rattle a bit as he sat. I sighed as I shook my head to get rid of the shock of the conversation.

"Looks like it," I sighed as I tried to stretch my arms. "I don't know what he knows, though. I am sure that only a few will know the whole truth."

Five days. We were locked up for five days. On the fifth day, the Hokage sent her personal assistant to have us follow her to another part of the building. In that time we had only the basic necessities: food, water, shelter, and a pot to piss in. When I stood next to Koji I could smell the staleness of his skin and the sweat that had built up. I couldn't help but scrunch my nose as we walked up the stairs to where ever it was that she was taking us. If he had an aroma to him, I am sure that I smelled just as bad. Not to mention how my hair would be. It would probably have to get cut from it matting while I slept. I rolled my eyes at myself for thinking about such mundane things. That really shouldn't be in the forefront of my brain.

So, she lead us through a series of stairwells and halls until we reached a room. She slowly opened the door and I could hear the moan of the hinges as she did so. The first thing that I thought was it smelled like a mix of old people and a library. The second thing that I noticed was the low hum of people talking. That's when I knew what was going on. We weren't going to have an audience with only the Hokage and elders. We were going to stand trial.

We were lead through the room, there were murmurs all around us. I could pick up keywords: Uchiha, Imposter, Fakes, attacks, and so on. So far what I got from the crowd is that we were thought of as guilty. I ignored the talk, though, and I was surprised that Koji had remained silent. Though I wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't hear what people were saying or because he was in shock entering the room. We walked past these people for what seemed to go on forever. Eventually, we were lead to the place where they wanted us to be and once more we were forced to our knees.

"This is a trial of the Village of Konohagakure verses Maki Koji and a supposed Uchiha Shisui." A shaky old voice spoke. I had to fight the rage that began to rise. That voice belonged to Homura. How the fuck was he still alive. The people hushed behind us as he went on. "Five days ago, there was an incident that brought these two to our attention. During that incident, Uchiha Shisui, who was currently know as Maki Sui, activated a Susanoo to fight against Leaf village shinobi, Uchiha Sasuke. There is suspicion that this man is not indeed who he says he is. Uchiha Shisui has been proclaimed deceased due to suicide for over thirteen years. Nothing has been reported to make anyone believe that this wasn't the truth. No spottings, nothing. We cannot verify if this man is who he says he is or that he is not an enemy of the village," The old bag took a break. Murmurs filled the room. I fought to keep my expression neutral. "The other defendant is known as Maki Koji, he is not well known. The only records we have are that he did serve with Konohagakure during the last great ninja war. From there everything is blank besides the fact that he lives on an island that is within Fire country. Five days ago he took part in an attack against Konohagakure ANBU agents. His attack caused injury to fifteen of our men in a short period of time. This was a hostile attack against our land and our people." More chatter filled the air. I could hear Koji snort next to me at the charges. Thankfully he didn't say anything.

"Today we will be finding evidence of the threat that they pose against our great village," an elderly woman spoke. Ah, seems that Koharu was still alive and kicking. There must be some kind of jutsu those old geezers did to stay alive. "The Hokage has ordered a public trial for them." It was subtle but there was an underlying streak of venom in her words. Enough so, that I had to raise my brow. "Today the head of the Yamanaka clan will be doing a mind sweep, for all to see." Her voice wavered a bit as she spoke. For all to see? I didn't even know that was possible. I mean the Yamanaka could get in your mind, but how would all be able to see it? "Maki Koji, since there aren't as many charges you will be the first." I could hear feet coming closer and then sound of rustling of clothes followed by more footsteps. Koji huffed before a slamming sound filled the air.

"We want all scaring memories unburied," Homura spoke. "There is no telling at what age this man could have been radicalized against the leaf."

"Understood," A woman said. The tone was much sterner, much flatter than normal, but I knew her. Ino. Ino was going to be the one that was digging through our heads and projecting it somehow. My stomach twisted the more I thought about it. It was one thing to have those memories, it was another to have them brought up with a mind reader. It wasn't just that they saw it. It was that it felt like you were living the event all over again. I frowned as I tried to turn to where Koji was. This wasn't something he would know about and it didn't seem like they were going to even give him a warning. I only knew because of the time I spent in ANBU. Yes, I was concerned for myself, but I was far more concerned for him.

"Begin," Tsunade ordered. After that, the room fell silent. It didn't last for long. Suddenly I could hear the cries of a child.

"But, Mama I loved her. She was my friend. I want her back!" A child howled.

"I know baby. She was an old kitty, though, and she went to kitty heaven," a woman said with a sad musical lit to her words. Then it hit me. I was actually listening to Koji's childhood memories. Clear as if it were happening next to me.

This went on, everything that had an impact on Koji was shown, from the good to the bad. I heard his family sing happy birthday, his father bringing home a dog, getting yelled at for feeding said dog his dinner. It wasn't the whole memories, just flashes. Exciting moments, devastating moments, embarrassing moments and everything in between. At certain points you could hear the people in the room gasp, cry and laugh.

"No... Please. No." Koji's voice sounded so young. It also wasn't coming from where the voices of the memories were coming. This was the Koji that was in front of us. I frowned as I listen to his voice age and it didn't take me long to figure out what he was fighting.

"Please Maki-san, don't fight me. I do not wish to hurt you. Do not try and push me out," Ino's voice was strong but compassionate at the same time. That was also when I figured that there must be some type of delay. White noise filled the room for a moment before the sound of fire crackling slowly took over. That was soon followed by the screams of women, children, and men.

"Where are they?!" A man screamed. "I know you backward country folk are hiding them, and we will find them using any force necessary!" He continued to yell. A gurgling noise followed the demand.

"No! AUNTIE!" A young Koji screamed.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" There was a lot more yelling and screaming. Koji would call out names of people that were being slaughted during the hunt for the nins. His cries rang through the room over and over again. Even though I couldn't see through my blindfold I had to close my eyes. He was going to feel as if this just happened all over again. This time there wasn't any noise from the people behind us as they witnessed the slaughter of his family and village.

"Damn," the man's voice said. Now there was no screaming. Though some soft cries were in the background. "Even though we didn't find them, let this be a warning to all who think that it is wise to aid a rogue nin. No mercy will be given." The fire crackled after soft cries fell from a young Koji.

"Mama? Papa?" he softly sniffled. "MAMA! PAPA!" I could feel the bile rising at what was being shown. They had no right. Not to have him go through that again. I swallowed thickly and tried to make sure I was facing his way. I didn't know if he could see me, but I needed him to know I was here. Everything in my body screamed at me to go to him, but I was bound down and forced to listen to him sob as he was put through that nightmare again.

They continued on without a beat. The crowd was still silent, probably not knowing how to process what they have just seen. For shinobi, these would be sights that they used to, for the villagers it wasn't often that they would see violence such as that. From there it went from when Noni found him and brought him home. There was also glimpses of when she brought home the other children too. Just as before there were amazing moments they shared, and also heart wrenching ones. It had come to the point when they had found me. It seemed Hisako saw my body first. Koji said that they should leave me. Which I would be kidding myself if I thought it would be any different. I heard him talking about me, about how I wasn't to be trusted. Him having a fight with Noni, saying that I was a nin and just a killer.

The memories slowly became less drastic as he grew. He had a few fights with all of us. There was a time that Noni walked in on him having "alone time." These were quickly gone through as it wasn't what they were looking for. Not that they would find what they were because Koji wasn't against their village or any village at that.

It started to pick up years after I began to train them. He had stayed to watch when I killed Yasha's man. I could hear his breathing become labored with each time my kunai landed in the man. Then when I released my last blade, I could hear a muffled sound of surprise before he ran. I frowned. I thought none of them were around. I should have checked the area better. He should not have seen that.

Times had been peaceful after that. There would be flashes of training, him getting embarrassed, him hitting on girls... and him losing his virginity to a girl he didn't know the name of. It was uncomfortable to hear but what came next was worse. There was the talk about going to war. I could hear myself yell at them, telling them that they were going to die. Those are words that I wished I had never said to them. I know that I believed them, but maybe I put doubt into them.

That memory lead to the war. I heard him listening to speeches of recruits, told what to do, the first kill he achieved, the chaos that ensued as the final battle came closer... Also, him and Hisako receiving the news that both Goro and Yumma had fallen. I honestly was stuck in my head once I heard that, so much so that I didn't realize that they had moved on. That was until I heard him screaming her name.

"HISAKO STOP!" Koji screamed. There was so much noise in the background and I couldn't make out what it was. I heard the wind, something hitting something else. "YOU HAVE TO STOP!" His voice was filled with desperation as the wind sounded as if it picked up.

"I can't," her voice wavered. I felt my breath catch in my chest at her sound. I hadn't heard it in so long, but this was different. She sounded wrong. "I can't! I have to do this!" she sounded strained. It was a sound that I had never heard from her before.

"You can't!" Koji screamed over the wind. "You can't leave us too! Hisako stop! PLEASE STOP!" He was crying now as he screamed. My stomach felt as if it was falling out of my body and all I could do was sit there and listen. Listen to the last moments of her life.

"I am sorry Koji, I am so sorry. I won't let you all die. You live and you tell him I said sorry. I love you and be sure to tell Sui I love him also! I am so sorry!" She cried back. I could hear him panting as she began to scream an inhuman scream. There was so much noise, it didn't make sense besides her words nothing could tell me what was going on. She just kept on screaming as she pushed herself. At this point, I knew she was breaking her body in order to complete whatever task she had her mind on.

The screaming ceased, and I heard him call out for her again. There was more noise that was around him. Koji let out a howl, this time he didn't weep for his fallen family. No, after the howl he growled and I heard him naming jutsu after jutsu. Screaming filled the air around him along with wet thunks of what I could only believe him letting out his rage.

I forced myself to take a breath. Through the entire memory, I couldn't breathe. Often I had wished for closure, to know what happened. At that moment I think that I wanted anything but to hear that. Though, at the same time, there was nothing more that I wanted than to pull the blindfold off and see her face. See her face moving and not just in a picture. That wasn't going to happen, not with my hands bound behind my back.

We both were panting as that memory ended. I squeezed my eyes shut once again and leaned forward. I couldn't imagine what Koji must be feeling at the moment. The rest of the memories were calm compared to the one of Hisako. There were a few of me and him, it was when I was depressed and he was trying to get me to through it. There was him and Noni drinking then crying together. Him apologizing to Yosh for not being able to protect the other kids. It was a quieter time, and the times that had impacted him were quieter also.

I also heard Sakura offering me eyes. Him talking me into it, Noni telling him about the authors that beat me, me telling him my full name, him watching me go, the inn receiving the hawk letting them know that I was getting my eyes, him seeing me when I got the bandages off, and finally him panicking over me being held on the ground.

Nothing, there was nothing there. I heard Ino murmur to him that he was done. I could hear him still painting as something opened. "Satisfied?" he panted out. Footsteps followed as they placed him back.

"There is no evidence of any radicalization against the Leaf. Though we will have to think hard about the attack that was done the other day," A geezer said. I couldn't help but frown. After all that shit that was the only thing those assholes were going to say. I ground my teeth from lashing out. I knew anything I would say at the moment wouldn't help. So I knelt completely still waiting to be called to have my mind displayed to everyone. Like a melon that was having its innards scooped out.

 **Told ya'll I would update quickly. And I doubt this is how anyone wanted this to go lol... This has been planned since the beginning. I just don't think that they would welcome him back with open arms, seeing how Madara and Obito tried to destroy the world. I think that he would be suspect JUST based on his last name. As would anyone that was not from the village that was connected to him.**

 **Thank you all soooooo much for the reviews and well wishes! Lets hope that everything stays clear for a while! It would be great if my lady parts didn't declare war! Once again thank you sooo much. I can't even express how much gratitude I feel :)**


	26. Chapter 26

I clenched my teeth as hands grabbed onto my shoulders roughly and pulled me from my kneeling position. I didn't say a word, just frowned at the amount of force. The courtroom became eirrly silent as I shuffled my feet in the directions my keepers pushed me in. If I hadn't heard the people before I would think that I was alone in the room. Well, almost alone. To my side, I could hear Koji panting as he tried to recover from his ordeal.

It was only a few more steps before the hands that held onto me pushed me into something. Some type of box, though, I wasn't quite sure. Once I was in my place they shoved me again to my knees. There was a low moan of some type of door closing in on me. A stale smell of body odor wafting from it as it moved. It closed with a click, I moved my neck to have it hit something hard. I had to be right it must have been a box.

"I will need to remove the hood. The seals will interfere with my ability," Ino spoke next to me in a flat tone. It was honestly a bit odd to hear her speak in such an emotionless manner.

"Remove it if you must," Koharu said in an aged voice. Ino's had just reached for the bottom of the hood before the vulture continued. "Though, if there is even an inkling of a threat dispose of him." I nearly snorted at the command. They sure could be so dramatic. Instead, I sat still as her fingers nimbly went under the fabric and began to pull it up.

"Uchiha Shisui," Homaru spoke. "We will find if you are who you claim. If you are not we will find out how it is that you came to have the visual prowess of the Uchiha. We will also find if you hold any ill will against Konohagakure." Her voice was just as shaky as the old man, but to be honest I was barely paying attention to her. What I was paying attention to was the fact that my eyes stung like I had just gotten them. The bright light of the room was making them water and I was having a difficult time focusing. I blinked my lids rapidly as I tried to will away the pain.

It didn't take as long as when I first opened my eyes to focus. The first thing that I saw was Ino's stomach. That took a second to figure out what I was looking at since I don't think that there was a time when I just sat and stared at someone's stomach like that. I looked up to see her looking down at me, but she didn't look like the Ino that I knew. Her face was completely stoic as she gazed at me, her big blue eyes hard with a raised brow. Even her mouth was pulled into a tight line. She was all business right now, and I knew that look. It was the look of someone who worked in T&I. One that didn't take pleasure in the pain that might cause but would do it if they thought it was right. I couldn't blame the girl. She was doing her job.

Blinking and still ignoring the words that the elders spoke, because let's be honest here, it really didn't matter what they said. They would see and hear my memories in a moment, no words would change that. So I looked in the direction of the panting to see Koji a few feet from the contraption that I knelt in. He was on his knee's with his head bowed. His shoulder rose and fell with each pant, his rich colored skin had gone ashen and was riddled with perspiration. I pursed my lips at the sight. It was so much worse to see the fall out than to just imagined it. He slowly raised his head, his mouth slightly parted as he breathed. His lively golden eyes flat as the looked at me. Though I had to give it to him, he attempted to smirk at me and winked. I couldn't return the gesture as my eyes were drawn to the people behind him sitting in the court pews.

The first person to catch my eye, of course, had pink hair. Her green eyes watched me carefully as I made eye contact. For a brief moment, I thought that she was going to look away as she slowly blinked. It tore at me. I didn't want to cause her these problems. She didn't, though. She kept her eyes on me and gave a curt nod. It wasn't affectionate at all, then again what did I expect? I was the one that lied to her, I was the one who caused this. I tried to move my mouth into a smile, or anything but found that I just couldn't. There was a movement next to her that caused my gaze to shift over.

Sitting stiffly next to her was Sasuke. His black eyes burning into me as I looked at him. His eyes were the only emotion her showed though, his face was as stiff as his body as he crossed his leg. There was no acknowledgment that I was looking at him. He just sat the with his stony expression and looked through me. A sigh left my lips as I looked behind the two to see the rest of thier team sitting behind them. All had the impassive faces of shinobi on duty. Everyone besides Naruto that is. He sat there with a frown, and I wasn't sure if it was at me or at what was happening. I blinked about to turn to look at the elders, when white and black, small and large, caught my eyes. I had to blink a few times to make sure what I was seeing was right. Noni and Yosh were behind the rest of team seven. My eyes went wide as I looked at them, and I knew that there were several people that looked in their direction. Both small and large had frowns on their face, and there was a mix of emotions coming from them. Even thought I had yet to see them, I knew them and I knew well enough to know when they were pissed. And that they were as the glared past me to the Hokage and Council. Noni blinked before she looked at me and her eyes softened as we made eye contact. I looked to Yosh to see he was also looking at me with soft eyes. I looked back just as Noni mouthed the words, "I am sorry. I love you." Before I could reply I felt Ino's hands on my temples, positioning my head to look forward.

"Do you wish the same time frame as the last?" Ino asked as she gently pushed her finger into my temples. I must have missed the fact that we were starting. My stomach began to clench as I knew what this was going to entail. I looked up to her and instead of seeing her eyes her face was now covered with some type of device. She must have put it on while I was looking over the room. Nothing of her face showed besides the tip of her nose and mouth. It was like a goggle, but instead of having lenses it was blacked out at the sides wires fell down and pulled lightly behind her. I followed the cords to look behind her to see some type of orb. How had I not seen that? I was far too distracted by looking at who was here. I watched as it ripples as if it was full of fluid. That watery sphere must be how the memories were projected because that was the only thing that made sense.

"No, start from thirteen years, eight months, and fifteen days. This is exactly four days before the death of Uchiha Shisui. This will prove if he is who he says he is. If it doesn't, then we shall go back farther," the old man said. Snark. It filled the words that he spoke. He really didn't believe me. I watched as super goggled Ino gave a curt nod and began her invasion.

It was weird. So fucking weird. It was like I was two places at once. I could feel her in my mind, touching on my memory. It was so clear that if I closed my eyes I would think that I was alone in a room with her, but I could also see her and in my peripheral see the space of the court.

"Sorry," Her voice rang in my head. I didn't know how to respond, I honestly wasn't sure if I spoke if it would come through my mouth or my mind. So I stayed silent. She should not have been apologizing to me anyways. For one, this wasn't her fault at all. Then there was the fact that she probably shouldn't be saying that. Not during a trial. No, she should just be searching my mind, not giving me condolences. If I acknowledged it, I wasn't sure if she would get in trouble or not. So I let it be.

I could feel her searching my mind. If I could describe the sensation it was as if I was a book and she was flipping the pages quickly. There really wasn't a word for this feeling. I suppose if I was fighting it, it would be like an invasion. I could feel her search slow as she found the time period that she was looking for. She was scanning memories, and I didn't know what she was looking at. That was until there was a crackle and images appeared on the sphere.

It took a moment to focus. It was like looking at a picture that had been placed in a rippling pond. Even before it became clear I knew the face. Itachi. Gods, he looked so young. Had we ever been that young? Once his image, there was a sharp intake of many breaths. I wondered, and not for the first time if his story was known. I hadn't heard rumors of it, but then again not everything reached our small island. I blinked as the emotions of that moment began to bubble to the surface. I could even feel the movement of my body and face at that moment. I could feel the rock that I was sitting on as I looked up to my little cousin.

"So I take it it didn't go well," my voice reverberated through the room. I was taken back at how young I sounded. I know that at this moment I felt anything but young. At this moment I was feeling as if I was drowning. I wouldn't show it though. I wouldn't let Itachi see it. I would fix this, and I would save him. But the urgency of our situation was extream and the anxiety that flowed through me didn't help.

"I am sorry," Itachi said. His face bathed in the light of the setting sun and he looked at me full of disappointment. Just like that day, I could feel my stomach drop at his words. "I did everything I could, but... The only thing I could accomplish was to delay the plan." I could even feel the internal sigh I had as I thought about it.

"This is a coup by our entire clan. We always knew it wouldn't be easy to dissuade them. Their will to make this happen is much stronger than we anticipated. That said, delaying the plan is still a great result." False encouragement. I knew it was then, and even now I felt it.

"And how about you? You said you were going to try and find some allies?" Itachi looked to me as if I was holding a string of hope.

"I am afraid it isn't going well. For better or for worse, they're a part of the Uchiha clan, so their bond is strong." The globe shifted away from Itachi as I looked up to the sky. Quickly it moved from the sky back to him as I looked at his forlorn face. "Oh, come on. Don't give me that look," I felt my muscles move as I stood. I was trying to press down the utter hopelessness I was feeling. The words I spoke were as much for Itachi as they were from me. "Remember, this is you and me that we're talking about, Itachi," I walked to him and placed my hand on his shoulder as I smiled at him. I could even feel the stiff cotton of his shirt under my hand, even though my hand wasn't in front of me and bound behind me.

This was much more invasive than I had thought. I knew feelings would be brought up, but I didn't realize that I would be able to feel what my body did. My stomach began to clench as I thought about the memories that would soon be shown. "So don't worry. It'll be fine." I felt the anxiety that I felt lift as he softly smiled at me. "In any case, you keep an eye out and work from the inside. I'll work on finding another way."

"Big Brother!" The projection turned from Itachi to the forest that was behind us. There the Sasuke that had always been in my mind ran forward. There were so many emotions that my body was going through that it was hard to focus. I was still feeling the anxiety I had from talking with Itachi. The overall dread and apprehension I was feeling about going through this and then there was amusement that I felt as I watched the young boy run forward. And an overwhelming joy at just being able to see him again and not have him try to kill me. I smiled, and I wasn't sure if it was just in the memory or if it was on my face at the moment. Gods, he really was such a goofy kid. I tried to roll my eyes to look at him, but Ino's arm was all I could see. "Big Brother! Heeey!" His arms waved awkwardly in the air as he ran towards us. "There you are! I have been looking practically everywhere for you! ... Oh, sorry"

"Yo," I smiled at the boy as I raised my arm. Past thoughts filled my head as I looked into his big dark eyes. We would fix this, we would fix this for the next generation of Uchiha. How wrong I had been.

"Shisui!" Little Sasuke beamed at me. "Hey, what were you two talking about, anyway? C'mon, tell me, tell me, tell me!" He bounded towards me with excited eyes. In the background, I could hear Itachi ask why he was here, but I was just looking down at the excited boy.

"You're still too young to know about that," Itachi sighed as Sasuke turned his attention towards him. I felt the sensation of playfulness rise in me. One that I use to know so well, but had faded throughout my life. Hisako had helped it come back, and now Sakura, but this was so innocent and pure the feeling I was getting.

"Aww, what's that about? What, I'm not part of the group now...?" Sasuke pouted. I know that I was actually smirking as I watched Itachi poked Sasuke on the forehead on the sphere. Though, it quickly slid down into a frown as I thought that they should still have each other.

"I'm sorry. Sasuke. Maybe next time," Itachi smirked. I couldn't stop the feeling of needing to tease the boy, so much it was becoming overwhelming.

"You're always saying that big brother," Sasuke whined as he touched her forehead. I could hear the chuckle that came out of my younger body.

"It's just not fair!" I smiled to him. "What a horrible brother to leave Sasuke out of everything like that. Alright, Sasuke, why don't I tell

you then?" I winked at him as he looked up at me. If it was possible his big eyes grew wider.

"Really?! You are the best, Shisui!" He grinned at me. I let out a breath as I lowered myself to his level, wrapping my arm around his shoulder.

"You see... We were just talking about which of us is stronger, me or your brother," I smiled as the globe shifted from Sasuke's face to Itachi as I spoke. "I mean. I know I'm a lot stronger than he is, but he just won't accept the truth." I sighed as the image on the sphere turned back to Sasuke. "Well, tell me, Sasuke. You know the truth, don't you? That I am a lot stronger than he is..."

"Stop." an elder grunted. Before Sasuke could have that cute temper tantrum the image dissolved into the watery orb. There was a hushed whisper of the crowd at the break in memory. "Perhaps we should move this to a private room?" Homaru spoke. The words were uncertain and I knew very well why. The next thing that would be shown would probably be the meeting that I had with them. Ino dropped her hands off of my temple at the remark to pull up her headgear, giving me enough time to glance to Sasuke.

The stone facade that he had on earlier had crumbled. He was still staring at the sphere. His pale face had lost even more color as he slowly blinked. His uncovered eye wide as he slowly moved his head to look at me. I raised a brow as I looked to him, but I was distracted by the fact that in his lap there were two hands. I let my hand trail over the wrist and arm that didn't belong to see that Sakura's arm was extended over him as she held onto his lone hand. I know I shouldn't feel jealous. Especially at this moment. He had just seen his dead brother and I having a conversation about the coup. But I couldn't help wishing her hand was in mine. After all, he was just watching it, I was the one that had to fucking basically had to relive this shit.

"Oh, no. We will get to the bottom of this," Tsunade spoke up causing my attention to drift away from my cousin. It wasn't because of what she said, no it was how she said it. Because there was mirth in her voice. I tried to look to her, but the view to the council and Hokage was obstructed by the sphere. "I mean we know now that the kid is Uchiha Shisui, but do we know if he didn't betray the village?" She said lightly.

"Tsunade now is not the time or place," Koharu snapped sharply. My brows drew down as I listened to them then it hit me. This trial wasn't just about me.

"Oh, I think it is just the place. The crowd that had gathered here wishes to know if they can TRUST this young man who used a Susanoo in the village. I think that they have every right to know what kind of man he is," Tsunade said in a slow measured tone. No. This really wasn't just about me. What was this woman playing at Did she wants to expose the elders? The truth about Itachi must not have been known. The truth about everything. I mean in the memory that we saw it didn't show anything that could give anyone away but the others in the Uchiha clan away. Though without all the information it could be spun in a different direction. Our words were plain and to the point as we spoke, but... people could easily be misled. Then it hit me: I more than likely was a sacrificial pawn.

"This is classified," Homaru said as he slammed his hand down. There was an uproar in the court at his demand.

"We deserve to know!"

"We have a right to know!"

"How do we know we are safe! What if he helped with a coup!"

"What if he helped Madara?!"

The crowd went wild with hollers and screams. I looked over to the gallery where the civilians were standing and yelling. My eyes were wide as I looked at them. Then I landed on Noni and Yosh who was looking to me with wide eyes. I scanned over Sakura's team. All of them seemed as bewildered as the crowd.

"We will continue. This is ordered by the Hokage!" Tsunade yelled. "We must see if he remains loyal." I bit my lip. I don't know if she was working to help me or not. Hell, she might not even care. I also don't know if she thought it should be easy to go through the memories of a man who lived in the country. There were things I didn't want up there. Things I didn't want to feel all over again. There were things... I glanced to Noni. I didn't want them to witness. The two old bats grumbled, but at the moment, with the way the crowd of people were acting there was no way the Hokage could be overruled. "Ino, pick up where you left off," Tsunade said sternly. I looked to Ino as she pulled down the goggles again and placed her hands on my temples.

Another image appeared slowly on the sphere. There sat the council with the Third Hokage. I knelt as I looked up at them.

"Please wait." My voice rang throughout the room. "If I may, I think I have an alternative. There's a plan I'd like to try if you'll let me." I knew that I was breathing normally, but the me in the past was having a hard time breathing at a normal pace. I could feel my lungs burn as I spoke and looked to the elders.

"A plan, you say?" The third looked at me with wide eyes.

"This is a waste of time. There are no other options right now." Danzo snapped. My stomach clenched as I felt as the bile raise in my throat as I heard his voice. I looked to the projector to see him looking at Hiruzen. I am sure he was glaring at the man, but the side of his face that I could see was covered in bandages. I had to will my body to sit still. Every once of me wanted to kill him, even though he had been long dead for a while now.

"What is this plan, Shisui?" The Third didn't even bother looking to Danzo, no he kept his eyes trained on me.

"I will use my Mangekyo Sharingan on the clan." The crowd had been silent until that moment but once the words left my past self's mouth hushed murmurs instantly filled the air. It was to be expected. It was such a taboo to say anything against your own clan.

"Do you truly understand what you are saying? You'll forever be branded with the sin of using the jutsu against your own clan." Hiruzen warned. Though, his eyes held a glimmer of hope. I could feel the resolve settle in my chest. This is what must be done. I had to do it.

"I understand," I replied. "But still it's worth it to protect what I hold dear. Lord Third, please!" He had to agree. Because I didn't know what else to do.

"if you believe in this, I won't stop you. Do what you must." The words Hiruzen spoke were measured as he watched me warily. He knew what I had on the line for this. After this, my clan would hate me.

"Thank you, sir"

The image faded to me looking down at the scroll. At that moment I felt utter confusion. I was supposed to go to the clan meeting and use my Jutsu on them, I couldn't understand why I was getting a summon to the old temple. The sphere moved over the words as I read the scroll. You could hear me sigh as I rolled up the scroll then light it on fire and watch it burn at my feet. Once it was disposed of, I then took to the trees to meet Danzo.

"What is it, Lord Danzo?" I ask as I walk to the old temple. I glance up to the statues of the old gods that were staring down at us. I didn't like the place, and the sense of unease that I felt that day hit me once again. I should have listened to what my body was telling me. "It's almost time for the assembly to start."

"Even if you use your Visual Jutsu on Fugaku to get the clan to cooperate, what if the village doesn't change?" The asshole asked as he squinted in my direction. Confusion swirled in my chest as I looked at him.

"Lord Hokage has promised to make it change," I reply back. The retort came quickly but my words were measured. Unease filled my soul as I stood there. This wasn't going to go well. That I had already known.

"Even if Lord Third is satisfied, the distrust among the Leaf will not go away," He drawled to me as his eye open a bit.

"I realize that. But in time..."

"Besides, someone who's always suspicious like me will never change. What will you do then?" The words still made the hairs on my neck raised as I realized that there was no way this man was an ally. He would never be. My stomach knotted then and now.

"But Lord Danzo..." I begin to plead.

"When the time comes, will you use your Kotoamatsukami on me too?" My eyes felt as if they went wide as he glared at me. Even thought there was something telling me that there was something very wrong with the man, I would have never had guessed his next move. "I'm... Your Sharingan... shall be in my safekeeping! Forgive me." His face became large on the sphere as he suddenly approached me. One would think that this would have some type of reaction out of the crowd. There wasn't though. It was silent as the scene played out. I couldn't stop myself from pulling back from Ino as I saw the man's hand coming for me. There was a pressure in my eyes, but I honestly couldn't tell if my Sharingan had activated.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if it had.

It felt as if my hand was wrapped around his wrist, I could feel his muscles straining and he attempted to reach out to me. I could feel his muscles go lax as I countered his attack with a genjutsu. Everything in me was screaming to run, to flicker away as fast as possible. That day I didn't feel this. No, I had thought that I got the upper hand on the man. I felt smug, was this old man really going up against me?

"It's only genjustu... You'll snap out of it shortly," I had said to the man releasing his arm. I would prove him wrong. I could prove him wrong. Those were the thoughts I had as I turned from him. Funny how I was the only one wrong that day.

I began to pant as I knew what was going to happen. "Run," the word fell from my lip before I could catch it. Of course, it didn't matter. I couldn't command my younger self to do anything different. It was done and in the past. Nothing would change it, but I couldn't stop. Pain flooded my body as I took blows from Danzo. My eyes wide with surprise as he hit me over and over again. Confusion clouded my brain. Then there was the pain of my eye. It immediatly watered as I watched his fingers take it from my head once more. I cringed under Ino's fingers. My socket felt as if it was on fire. My breath matching to the panting that was being overheard in the memory. I felt the surprise once more as I looked at Danzo's face as he unwound the bandage around his head.

"Sharingan?!" I sputtered in disbelief as I watched the red eye turn white. I knew it must have been some type of jutsu that was of my clan, but even to this day, I didn't know the name of it.

"I'm going to take it to replace this eye," Danzo growled as he glared at me through his one capable eye as the other shut. "Give me the other one too" That's when root had shown up. I felt a sickness in me that I hadn't felt for years. It was indescribable. To be betrayed by the village that you wanted to protect. One that I was willing to risk my life for. It was like having a parent suddenly turn on you. I was naive. Too naive to think they would listen. My hands immediatly went to form seals once I saw his men and I sent out a fireball Jutsu. Quickly the masked shinobi responded with a water style. Stupid, was my thought now and then. They should have known that steam provided cover. Though, I thanked the spirits for the stupidity. They should have just dodged it. Quickly I flickered away. The throbbing in my face growing stronger.

I ran from ROOT. At one point I had to use my Susanoo to get them off of my trail. I didn't want to kill them. Even if they worked for Danzo they were still shinobi of the Leaf. Though, I would if I had to. I don't know if I did or not. Even watching it over again I wasn't sure if any had fallen. Once they were off my tail, I perched myself in a tree and my ragged breath could be heard. I don't think that I had ever been so confused and taken aback in my life. The strength of the emotion was enough to knock me back. I watched as my hands shook as I looked down at them before I looked to the sky. My stomach dropped as I realized it was too late. I had lost my chance with the clan. The muscles in my body relaxed as I slumped down on the branch, the bark biting into my skin. Lost. I felt so lost. What was I going to do now? There was no way I could wait for another clan meeting. Even if I could Danzo was trying to get my eye. I had no doubts that after he took it he would kill me. He probably had ROOT patrolling the perimeter also waiting for me. There was no way he would let me get close to the Hokage. I was becoming tired, my chakra was all but out from fighting ROOT and from using a Susanoo with only one eye. This wasn't going to end well no matter what I did.

There was only one way that I knew that I could fix this. This would be my last day. And I was sure as hell not going to let that man get my other eye. My heart pounded in my chest as I watched myself write my suicide note with shaky hands. Words that I had hoped would stop the coup, but if it didn't I would give Itachi the power to. Once completed I ran home and placed it on the desk in my bedroom. I lived alone, but I did have a lady come in and clean. She would find it in a few days. My death was set.

These events didn't follow the same time frame when there wasn't interactions Ino had sped up the memory. So what had taken hours for me to complete only took ten minutes. If I wasn't in so much pain and emotional confusion I am sure that I would be letting out a dry laugh. I couldn't though, because I felt like I was about to kill myself all over again. I kept it together on the outside, but inside my muscles shook, my stomach turned and it was a fight to keep moving. I didn't want to die. I just didn't know what else to do.

It was night as I took to the trees to meet with Itachi. I looked down and frowned as he stood with his ANBU mask on. He didn't belong there. He should have been a teacher or even a healer, and now he was a killer. Not that all shinobi weren't. It was just in ANBU the number went much higher.

"Is that you Shisui?" Itachi asked as I began to move in the trees. I ran forward not looking back.

"Come with me," I said as I jumped to another tree to the waterfall. That would be the easiest place, I had convinced myself. What is easier than falling? Well, I had the falling part right, but waking up from that fall was hell.

"It's too late to stop the coup d'eta by the Uchiha," I spoke urgently. "If civil war breaks out in the Leaf Village, other nations are sure to attack... which means a full-scale war. I was going to try to stop the coup with Kotoamatsukami but Lord Danzo took my right eye..." I kept my eye on the waterfall and the rapids that were below. While I explain, I looked at my grave just hoping death wouldn't hurt for too long. I turned to look at Itachi as I frowned. "He doesn't trust me. He intends to protect the Village in his own way, no matter what it takes or how it looks. I suspect he'll come after my left eye as well. So I want to give it to you before he has a chance." The screen fills with the image of my fingers reaching up then blackness. My other eye watered and it burned as I pulled my orb out of my face. It had hurt, I remember that, but I didn't realize that it had hurt as much. My whole head throbbed. It probably had to do with the fact that I was going to die shortly. Perhaps I had, even more, adrenaline pumping through me, or it could have been the fact that I actually thought that this was going to work. I fought the cringe I felt as it came out. "You're the only person I can count on, my best friend," I had forced myself to smile through the pain and darkness. "Please protect this Village... and the honor of the Uchiha name." My hand felt warm from the blood that was dripping off of it as I offered my eye to Itachi. The flapping of bird wings filled the area. I was glad I would be in the presence of crows once more before I died. I could feel it's claw wrap around my eye before it was dispelled.

"I accept it. What will you do now?" Itachi asked in a stony voice. I smiled at him. Always so serious and kept those emotions hidden.

"If I die, several circumstances will change," I slowly began to step backward to the edge of the cliff. "I've left behind a note already."

"Wait, Shisui!" Ah, there was some emotion from my little cousin.

"Don't stop me, Itachi." The sphere was still black, but I felt the sensation of the fall. I could hear Itachi yelling my name. A sad smile filled my face. I wish I didn't have to give him this gift. My breathing was becoming panicked just like that day. It probably only took a second or two for me to fall, but I remembered that it felt so much slower. I could feel my body twisting and turning as I fell. My eye closed and squeezed shut as I knew the impact was coming. Logically I knew nothing would happen. This was all just illusion, but that didn't stop it from feeling as if I was going to take my last breath. There was a crack as I hit the water. I jumped in the containment box

I was in at the sudden loss of all feeling. It was like entering a void.

Silence.

My failed death attempt was met with silence. I opened my eyes and blinked as I looked up at Ino. I didn't even remember when I closed them. I waited for something else to happen. The emotions of the past filling my still as I tried to compose myself. It seemed that she also needed a moment because I wasn't feeling any new emotions or pain. No, I just had to deal with the fact that I had scared my best friend so much that he was able to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan. What a shitty last act.

"How would you like to go about this. Now that he cannot see," Ino asked slowly. Her voice wavered as she let her hands fall. The moment my view was unhindered I looked over to the people in the room. Shock. Everyone was shocked. Even Sasuke sat with his mouth partially agape staring at me. My breath was still coming out in pants and I could feel a bead of perspiration beginning to trail from my temple down my cheek.

"Are you able to tell his intentions? Can you hear what he is thinking?" Tsunade asked slowly as she cleared her throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ino shake her head. I didn't bother looking to her. I just knelt and stared at Sasuke's wide eyes, then Sakura's, followed by her team. Even Kakashi's lazy gaze was wide as he looked to me. I looked to Noni who had her small arms wrapped around Yosh's large one as she quietly sobbed. The bigger man's face was flushed red with his brows drawn as he glared either to the globe or to the council.

"In a way. I can feel his feelings. If he has a distinct thought then I may be able to pick it up," Ino replied thoughtfully. I turned to look at her to see that she had lifted the large black goggles from her face and was looking in the direction the voices of Tsunade and the elder came from. There was a small grunt in return.

"Then continue the scan. If you believe that what he is feeling needs to be taken into account feel free to comment on the memories," Tsunade said in a weary voice. My breathing began to even out as I let out a sigh. I had secretly hoped that once that was all seen that they would stop there. I suppose that was a false hope, I understood it in a way. There is a lot that can happen in thirteen years. I could have hooked up with the other Uchiha. It was possible. Then again, they just saw that I gave my life willingly for the village.

I looked up to Ino who nodded as she pulled her goggle contraption back over her head. Her fingers found their way back to my temple as I felt her enter my mind again. My whole body racked with pain as I was brought back to the memory of me waking up on the boat. I blinked as I looked up to the orb as it was filled with red and oranges. The colors swirled slowly at first, but when it came to the point in the memory that I moved and felt more pain the colors whirled wildly. That's when I figured it out. The colors on the sphere where the emotions that I was feeling.

As we went through the memories that colors swirled as new color entered based on what I was feeling. The giant ball had turned into acaleidoscope of colors, and if I wasn't feeling the emotion I am sure that I would be mesmerized by it.

The memories that she viewed didn't hold the major implications like the first ones had. These were basically me trying to figure out how to navigate the world blind. Ino would speak up every once in a while as to what was happening, but for the most part, even without the visual it was clear to understand what was going on. I was able to experience meeting my family for the first time again even though the emotions were overwhelming it was nice to go back in a way. To hear the childish voices that came from the kids. To relieve the words of wisdom from Noni and Yosh as if it was my first.

The reveling in these small moments were soon shattered as the mind search brought me to the point of the Uchiha massacre. Just as the day I had heard the men in the dinning room I once again was thrown into a full panic attack. My breathing became labored as the ball swirled with the blue colors of despair and rage.

"Anger..."

"Despair..."

"Sorrow..."

"Sasuke," Ino verbally explained the feelings and thoughts that were raging. Her words shook as she said them. Even as I was pulled down into the moment again I couldn't help but wonder if she could feel them also.

"Uselessness..."

The scene changed once more. The sphere filled with a blue as I walked the island still in the throws of sorrow. Red bust on the globe as I could hear a man's voice ring through the room, "one of the two girls, then we will call this square." I swallowed thickly as I knew what was going to show. She shouldn't be here to see this. I tried to look over, but once more Ino's arm blocked my view. The rage that I felt at the moment was now wrapped in the regret that she was going to have to hear this.

"Noni was struck," Ino's voice was low as she stated what was going on. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see the colors change for this one. I didn't need to be reminded of what happened that day and neither did Noni. I jerked in my kneeling position as I feel the fist slam into my jaw. I felt as if I wanted to double over as I felt the kick that landed on my stomach. This was torture. It was one thing to see what had been done to me, I could handle that. But, hearing what happened to those I loved again. It was almost enough to break me.

"Stay still and listen to the show. If you move I will kill you and Noni will get punished," I felt the heel of his shoe push down into my trachea again. Breathing was becoming even more difficult. My blood raced faster as I heard her screams ring out through the room. My eyes remained shut, but I could feel the water that was breaking free from my eyes and dripping down my face. I clenched my teeth as my head subconsciously pushed into Ino's hands.

She didn't make a comment through the memory. There really wasn't a need to. It was clear what was happening. After the rape the sounds of twigs and leaves moving echoed as I drug my body to her calling her name. I could feel reaching out to her, and the relief filled me as her hand wrapped around mine.

"Hey, assholes! Fire style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" I screamed hoarsely. I could feel the heat from my lips and the satisfaction I felt as thier dying screams filled the room. I had to fight the sick smirk that wanted to pull my lips up. I did not revel in death, I did not enjoy dealing it out, but they got what they deserved.

The memories calmed once more as it went through my daily triumphs with being blind. Ino tried to explain when I figured out to see, but she had a difficult time. Hell, it took me a while to figure out exactly how it worked, so it wasn't a surprise that she would struggle with the foreign concept.

"Can you train us?" Little Hisako asked. I smiled as I heard her voice. I knew that I would have a reprieve from the most damaging memories for a while. Because there were so many times that I cherished while I trained them. I felt the pride when they mastered Jutsus and their chakra control. I felt the worry about Koji and his obsession with the fire Jutsu. For a while, the sphere was clouded only with pleasant colors. Well, at least colors I had always associated with pleasant colors. Blues, purples, greens, bright yellows, swirled around with the memories. The reprieve from adverse emotion was short though. As soon the memory came to the day that Yumma was almost taken.

Red and black whirled in front of me. For the slightest second, it looked as if it went into a Sharingan design as I asked the man about what he was going to do with Yumma. I listened to his cries for life, and just as I had that day, I felt no remorse taking the mans life. I wouldn't let anyone take my new family. The rage I felt bubbled again as the scene bled into the next memory.

The colors began to whirl into a storm as I heard the noises of the brothel that I entered. I hadn't thought about it before, but at that moment I thought I was grateful that the sense of smell didn't accompany the mind search. Even though, I could clearly remember the urge to gag as I entered the building.

Just as when it happened that day my pulse surprisingly went even as I worked through the building. Rage would bubble then simmer down as I took out the men. I couldn't help but cringe as I heard the cries and voices of the children that were set free that night. I could also feel the restricted feeling of my hands as they were covered in drying blood that was tightening on my skin.

"76 enemies taken down," Ino announced. It shouldn't have surprised me that she said the number. I had counted each death I dealt, it still was a little shocking to hear her say it out loud. I couldn't spend much time focusing on her though. The emotions began to flood me as I was taken back. Not to mention feeling the kunai embed themselves again.

"Who are you and who sent you?" The dead man's voice rang. I snarled then and now at the voice.

"I am Shisui Uchiha, and I sent myself." My muscles went stiff as I spoke.

"Uchiha, that is impossible, they were wiped out!"

"Not all." I couldn't stop the smirk the lifted my lips. By now my body was shaking from experiencing this memory so quickly. But I revelled in the satisfaction of taking this mans life again. Sure I still had the phantom pains of the fight, but they didn't matter. Not when I knew how this was going to end. It may have been sick to take such enjoyment at the chaos I caused, but I didn't care. Not when it had happened and not now. The only regret I had was that Noni, Yosh, and Koji would witness it also. At least they weren't subjected to what it looked like. I am sure I painted the walls red with the blood.

"How many?" My voice was low and sounded much older than the fifteen years I was.

"What?" Yasha's voice was raspy from my previous assault.

"How many children's lives have you destroyed for your own gain?" I felt my foot press into his throat as his hand wraps around my ankle.

"I don't know, hundreds," he wheezed. At this point, I can feel anger shaking my muscles. That wasn't the only thing that I felt. The fingers that were laid on my temples also began to shake as the memory played.

"You deserve worse than death," my voice was rough as I spoke. A whistling noise followed my statement. Ino cleared her throat.

"Yasha was castrated," Ino announced in a rough voice.

"Enjoy your last moments," I felt myself leaving the room. There were cries and moans coming from the man that I refused to let myself hear the first time. Then I heard myself call out my Jutsu and the heat leave my lips as I burnt the warehouse down.

The emotions simmered down for a while to more pleasant events. It had been quite for many years and besides a few fights here and there with the other kids there wasn't much to take noet of. I was thankful for the reprieve. The constant emotional whiplash was becoming more and more overwhelming as Ino went through the memories.

"I love you," It was the first time she had said it and my stomach fell when I heard her voice. That memory was over far too soon though, as Ino skipped over as she continued her search to seek out something incriminating. Though, the moment she said it the globe turned a light blue, just as I had always imagined her chakra.

The next moment that was reviewed was when Hisako was late coming home. The worry and anxiety hit me once again as I waited for her. Then the relief of seeing her and the overwhelming feeling of love that I felt as I held onto the sides of her face.

"I think you lost our bet." The sphere filled with a calm pulsing red.

I tried to let myself lose myself in the memories that followed. Even though I knew that there was a whole crowd that was watching I couldn't stop myself. It was like I was reliving my moments with her. Being with her in that way was the happiest I had been at that point in my life. I didn't even care when everyone could hear her reading Icha Icha before making love for the first time. In the back of my mind, I screamed at myself to try and pull out of these feelings, I couldn't. Logically I knew it would only be a short time. It would be over in the blink of an eye but I didn't want to let go. I wanted to relive making plans with her, to hear her talk about our non exhistant children, about making a life that would never happen. At this point, I could understand the other Uchihas wish for the Infinite Tsukuyomi induced sleep.

"Uchiha Itachi is dead."

Those words had everything crumbling down again. I swallowed a hiss as I heard them. I could feel the pain all over again in my chest.

"Disbelief..."

"Sorrow..."

"Rage..."

"Remorse.."

"Failure..."

Ino listed off everything that was consuming me at the news. Her voice was soft as she did. I could feel myself shutting down. I wondered if I would be able to pull myself back. I didn't know the answer. Hell, the first time no one could get through to me. Not until Hisako yelled at me. I was still overwhelmed with feeling the loss when Ino found the moment I proposed to Hisako. Joy and sorrow swirled. Relief and worry were added to the emotions as I heard the news that Danzo had been killed by Sasuke. Though any joy I still had was cleared quickly. As the fall of Danzo had lead to the war.

This was the second time I had heard the conversation that I wished had never happened. It was the third time that I heard myself proclaiming my siblings would die. Anger. I felt so much anger. Even when Ino touched on the moments before they departed, the moments Hisako and I made love was tainted with this simmering rage. It was directed nowhere but myself. The moment they went to the boat I had to close my eyes as I listened to the last words she had ever said to me. "I love you so much, Sui..." "We have to go..." I felt her lips on mine. I tried to stop it, I really did, but a broken sob left my throat. The emotions were taking their toll and I was having a difficult time keeping it together.

"Who the fuck are you? What are you?" Grey. The globe filled with grey as a red outlined the circle.

"Ahh, doesn't this one seem familiar?" that fucking creepy voice said.

"He does remind me of someone, well, a few someones," the voice echoed from a different point. Those creepy mother fuckers.

"Another Uchiha, huh?"

The fight helped me. Even though it wasn't happening to me right then in my mind I used it to push the emotions away. I focused on the muscles that pulled with each movement as I shattered the opponents under me. My body was growing tired as it reacted to the memories already, and this memory was exhausting me even more. Though the fight was much too short as worry filled me as Yosh and Noni were wrapped in cocoons. Ino passed over the time I spent waiting and suddenly relief washed over me once they had come back. Though that was short lived as soon I was waiting forKoji near the dock.

Knowing what happened filled me with dread, but I couldn't shake off the emotion of hope that I had that day. I didn't want to feel that. I didn't want the thought that soon my family would be back together. This memory was too new and raw, and I honestly hadn't dealt with it. I had pushed it to the side to never think about it again, but here it was being forcefully unburied. I could feel Ino struggle through the connection we had as she touched on it. She didn't speak a word as I heard Koji's voice in the room.

"I am so sorry," he whispered into my ear. I could feel his body pressed against mine. I could feel myself shattering. The sphere became the blackest black as the emotions hit me like a wave, just like the day it happened. I couldn't focus but I could hear myself screaming to him while he apologized over and over again. It felt as if there was something constricting my throat. I wanted to die. I had forgotten how much I truly wanted it to end that day. I knew the pain, but it had dulled somewhat. To have to face it again was too much. There was no question that my Sharingan activated at the moment. I could feel the liquid escaping my eyes. The salty coppery smell of blood entered my nostrils and I wept tears mixed with blood. My soul had been ripped out of me again.

"Death... Yearning for suicide."

The memory passed but the weight that I felt in my chest wouldn't. The sphere didn't change colors either. It remained a black hole as I could hear other memories being passed by. When I heard myself speak, there was no inflection in my voice. Even when I was in an argument with them I couldn't bring myself to sound any different from a this point, my body was shaking hard enough that my neck was bumping against the hard metal of the containment box. I kept my eyes shut through most of it. Only allowing myself to open them once in a while to glance up at Ino, and to look to the globe.

Slowly the sphere began to lose its darkness. It became a steely gray as the moments past. The pressure in my chest became less pronounced, but I knew that feeling was going to stay even after this was all done and over with. Suddenly the projector was filled with a light blue that then burst into a swirling pink as Ino found the day I met Sakura.

I could feel the food that was caught in my throat as she said she could give me my eyesight back. I could feel the hope and reservation that I felt, then finally the relief I felt as I made a decision to let her help me. Anxiety filled the next few points that Ino stopped as I waited for her return.

Then two very familiar voices came up. Kakashi and Yamato posing to be the authors. Irritation. That was the strongest emotion I had with them at the moment. I felt my bone crack as one of them stuck me. The pain radiated but the irritation that I felt had begun to dissipate as I became amused with Noni's reaction. Though of course the anxiety caught us soon after that while I waited for Sakura.

There were minor moments that Ino touched on while I was in the Leaf, but many were good. There was some fear, but for the most part, this was the most content and happiest I had been since the war. I tried to get some enjoyment out of it, but to be honest, I was completely fried. Though, I couldn't help but smile as I noticed while I spent more time with Sakura the pink that would show up slowly began to pulse. It went darker to lighter as she spoke, until it was in rhythm with a heart beat. My sights came back to the device as I got my eyes. I blinked tiredly up at it as the first thing I saw was pink hair. I felt the exultation at the sight, but I could no longer connect to it. To live through thirteen years in a few hours was too much for anyone and I could barely keep myself upright. Though, I did straighten when Ino showed glimpses of our sex life.

Confusion, shock, and awe were the last emotions that flooded me as she reached the fight with Sasuke. She played the whole thing. From me trying to seduce Sakura, to me preparing to die. She only stopped after I was slammed to the ground yelling at Koji to stop.

Ino sighed as she dropped her hands from me. I did the same also as I felt my mind becoming vacant. My body still shook, and my clothes were now sticking to me uncomfortably from the sweat that had veiled my body. I didn't react any further, instead my body slumped down. I had to give Koji props for growling after his interrogation. I had no energy left for anything. I panted as my head bowed down, my chin touching the metal box as I closed my eyes.

If I had been thinking straight I would have noticed that the courtroom was silent. I didn't care though. All I could focus on was how raw I felt. Like someone had turned my insides to the outside of my body. Which mentally is just what happened. I could hear someone clear thier throat. That helped me come back. I pushed my heavy lids open and looked up to Ino. Her blond hair was damp with sweat and her mouth was pulled down into a frown as she looked over her shoulder. I assumed to the Hokage and the elders. Slowly I blinked as I rolled my head to look at Koji. He wasn't as ashen as when I had seen him before, but he was staring at me intently. He didn't move a muscle as out eyes connected. Well, this is something to bond us. A dry laugh lazily fell from my lips. What a fucked up thing to think.

Next, I looked over to the gallery. Faces of people I didn't know just sat and stared with wide eyes. I am sure my eyes were still red as I looked at them, but I couldn't even tell the emotions on them. I didn't care. I frowned as I looked at them. I hope they enjoyed the fucking circus, I thought bitterly. Blinking slowly I looked to Sasuke. I forced a brow to raise. If he wanted to kill me, now would be a good time. I still felt everything and it was swirling around in a messy manner. Nothing made sense. Happy, sad, sorrow, rage, elation, anxious, all swirled around together. I knew this was an interrogation, but it worked well for torture. I felt like my body was compressing and exploding at the same time. He didn't though. He didn't even move a muscle as he looked at me with a blank face. Right then anger peaked a little, it was his fault. I knew the thought was irrational, I couldn't help it.

I looked to Sakura who still had a hold of Sasuke's hand. I know my eyes rested on where they were joined for a moment before I looked into her eyes. She only looked at me for a split second until she looked away. I swallowed thickly at her response before a soft snorted laugh pushed from my nose. A third time. I probably had just lost the most important thing to me for a third time.

"Well," Tsunade's spoke carefully. "The council and I will meet in private to go over the events of today. The judgments will be posted publicly once we had a chance to talk this through." She spoke softer. Then there was a burst of noise from the people. I couldn't tell what they were yelling. I didn't know if it was for or against us. It didn't matter to me at the moment. Before I could make sense of what was happening, I felt hands on me as I was lifted off of my knees and drug from the room.


	27. Chapter 27

We were shuffled roughly out of the courtroom. The roaring of the crowd echoed through the halls, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. My breathing had slowed to a mild pant and I could still feel the sweat dripping from my hair. I looked back at Koji. A guard had his hand on his shoulder as he guided him through the halls. Though his eyes were downcast to the ground. I swallowed thickly at the sight of my sibling so beaten down. It had taken me to that moment to realize that they hadn't placed the seal on my eyes again. I turned my head forward and felt a small push from the guard that was to my side, his hand still resting on my shoulders.

The farther away we walked from the courtroom the more silent the halls became. To the point that the only thing that could be heard were four pairs of feet softly hitting the ground. It was the only thing that I was trying to focus on, the soft sounds of feet dragging against the tile. I didn't want to think about what just happened. I didn't want to think about how bad Koji must be feeling. I didn't want to think about all the shit they dug up and the fact that emotions were still storming in me. I really didn't want to think about looking over at Sakura, having her look away and holding onto the hand of my cousin. So I focused on the footsteps. The fact that each set had their own pattern and distinct sound. I also began to count the number of footfalls as we walked.

Seven hundred seventy-two steps are how many it took us to reach our cells. No one spoke the whole time. I walked into the hallway that was lined with ten cells, five on each side. Numbly I kept moving until I felt the guard pull back on my shoulder. Surprise hit me as I felt the bindings on my shackles released. I turned to look at the man. I knew him. I didn't remember his name, but I did remember that bandage across the nose and the way his hair spiked out at the sides. He was older than I was, by maybe five or seven years. I wasn't sure.

"Thank you," I murmured as I rolled my shoulders. The muscles stiffly fighting against the movement.

"Least I could do," the man said as he opened my cell. "Sorry man, you have to wait in here until the Hokage calls for you," he murmured softly. I nodded to him as I looked at him with a raised brow. His eyes were full of pity it was difficult not to frown at him. Instead, I stalked into the cell and flopped down on the cot that groaned with the sudden force of my weight. I sighed as I looked around the small area. It was just as I figured it would be in my head. Iron bars with a door on one side. Three gray cinder block walls surrounding me. A tiny barred window on the wall farthest from the cell door. There were seals carved into the bricks here and there. A cot, and a steel toilet with the world's shittiest toilet paper sitting to the side.

I sat there for a few moments staring at the tiles on the floor. I still didn't know what to do with myself. Not that there was much to do in a tiny cell, but doing nothing didn't sound appealing. Laying down, pacing, sitting. Nothing felt like it was something I should be doing.

"Well, that was the most fucked up thing that I have ever been through," Koji spoke up after a while of deafening silence. I slowly turned my head in the direction of his voice. I couldn't see him though. His cell wasn't directly across from mine. So I pulled myself from the cot and slowly walked to the bars. I placed my hands on the cool iron and scanned the cells across from me. I saw him sitting on his cot kiddie corner from me. His skin was almost to his normal tone, but his eyes were wide as they stared at the ground.

"You doing okay?" I asked hoarsely. He looked up, eyes still wide. They slowly went soft as he relaxed the corner of his mouth lifting into a lopsided smirk.

"I'll survive. Though, how are you doing, bro? Not looking too good yourself," I know he meant to have a teasing edge on his words but they just fell flat. I inhaled as I let my forehead rest against the bars closing my eyes at the slight chill of the metal.

"I am trying to survive," I whispered opening my eyes slowly to look at him. He frowned at me but didn't respond. "I don't know how you were smiling just," I murmured. He inhaled a breath and shook his head his bright colored hair swaying as he did.

"What other choice do I have?" I could feel my eyes widen as he said it. It wasn't something I would expect to come from him. "You know it was fucked up. There was a lot of things that I never think about, and never want to again. But some of the stuff I mean I got to see my mom again... I got to feel her holding me when that stupid cat died." He sighed as he looked back to the ground. "Don't get me wrong. That is something I never want to go through again, but seeing them," a humorless laugh left him as his shoulder rose. I knew who it was he was talking immediately. "Seeing all of them one more time, like I was with them... I don't know. Maybe it was worth it for that," his voice dropped down to a whisper. "I also have had a few hours to cool down from it all, ya know," he looked up at me with an arched brow. My lips tightened. I understood what he was saying, but I didn't know if I felt the same. With out thinking, my hand raised to my chest as my fingers gripped onto the cloth. It still felt as if a hole was ripped through my heart. I didn't respond verbally. I just nodded as I walked back to my cot and took a seat.

"It was the most fucked up thing I have been through also," I agreed to his first statement.

We waited in our cells for a few hours. The sliver of sky that I could see through the barred windows had begun to darken as the sun dipped down. I lazily looked at it as I wondered how much longer we were going to be detained. My attention was drawn from the colors of the sunset when I heard the door at the end of the corridor whine as it opened. Changing of the guard, I thought to myself. That was until there was a shinobi standing in front of my cell door grinning at me. A senbon bouncing from side to side.

"Alright ladies, time to see Hokage-sama," Genma drawled as he unlocked my cell with a flick of a key. The turning of the tumblers echoing through the hall. I slowly stood and left my cell cautiously I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be bound, but the man didn't make a move. Instead, he went to Koji's cell and unlocked it. "Just follow me," he waved his hand. Both Koji and I looked to each other with raised brows before we both hesitantly followed the man.

It was another walk were not a word was spoke. My stomach knotted a bit as we followed Genma, who walked with a lazy gate and hand his hands shoved into his pockets. It was easy for him to walk in that manner, not so much for us. We were about to learn our fate. I tried to calm myself by reminding myself that I wasn't bound and I didn't have a sealed hood on. That must be good a good omen. Though, there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind that if the elders had their way I would be locked up for a long time. Just for the fact that I exposed some dirty little secrets inadvertently.

Our stride slowed as Genma stopped in front of a large double door. He still had that large grin on his face as he turned to face us. I didn't know what that could mean. It could be a good sign or he could just be one of those people that always smiled. I tried to think back when I had seen him around town when I was younger, but I just couldn't remember.

"The Hokage awaits," he said as he pointed to the door. Perplexed I looked to Koji who also had confusion written on his face. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe I had concocted this informal release, and I was laying on the bed in my cell. Pursing my lips, I forced my feet to move and placed my hand on the door. I hear a clapping noise then felt a hand slap my shoulder. I turned my head to look at the senbon wielder "It was nice watching ya kids. See ya around Koji, Shisui," he said with a wink. Ok, that was definitely weird. Though I would just file it as a good sign for the moment. I nodded to him still confused by the action than pushed against the door.

The office was much different then I remembered it. Then again I was pretty sure that it had been rebuilt. The windows were the same but instead of the low table that the Third had used, there was a large tall desk. Behind it, a high-backed chair and sitting in that chair was Tsunade who had a mountain of papers in front of her. I hesitantly walked into the room and took a knee, because I didn't know what else to do. To the side of me, Koji mimicked my actions.

"You don't have to do that," Tsunade snorted. "Go ahead and stand." I raised a brow as I looked to see she was staring at us, but not with the hard glare she had held at our previous meetings. With a curt nod, I pulled my body up. There was a moment when no one spoke. I stood there looking at her as Koji did the same. Her honey eyes surveyed us until she let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair.

"I must apologize for my actions," she began solemnly. Now I was really confused. We were the ones that were coming to find out our fate. I don't know what I was expecting, but and apology wasn't even on the list. I could hear Koji let out an uhhh sound, but I kept my eyes trained on her. "I used you as pawns. You see the council has may things that they wish to remain in the dark. While I agree in order to run a government not everything should be transparent, there are cases that needed to be brought to the light," she raised a brow as she tapped a painted nail on her desk.

"Danzo," I breathed. There was a small twitch in the corner of her mouth as she looked to me.

"Yes, that was one shady place that I wished to spread light on. Also, they had my hands tied when it came to the matter of Uchiha Itachi. I didn't know for certain how involved you were, but I had a feeling that the two of you would have been working together. I don't know if you knew, but the truth came out. Well, to a select few. Once I had heard about what was discovered I wanted it out. I wanted his name cleared. Though I was voted against, and if I were to have gone against their wishes they could have worked a way to get rid of me and mark me as a traitor." She sighed and shook her head. "I know Sasuke will be happy that his brother's name is cleared, as a matter of fact, that information should be circulating the village as we speak," she leaned forward and placed her head on her hands.

"Why?" I glanced over to see Koji staring at her with wide eyes. "Why was that important? Doesn't that cause more of an issue than anything? The village knowing that kind of information?" Tsunade looked at him with her head cocked to the side and licked her lips.

"We learn from the past. We can be better than the previous generations. If people know of the genocide that was perpetrated by their own government they are less likely to turn a blind eye if it were to happen again. So I can handle a bit of an upset and untrust right now if that means people will always be looking underneath the underneath. Yes, being a shinobi can have its moments of working in the shadow, but it shouldn't be every move," she blinked as she looked me straight in the eye. "Do you think that the possible Uchiha uprising was handled well?" She asked me slowly. The question felt like she had shoved me. I had to take a step back.

"Of course not," I breathed. "The divisions between clans should have been settled ages ago. We should not have had that tension as a village. Innocent people should not have died because others feared them." She nodded in agreement.

"There will always be a clan that could threaten a village from within. What happens next time? The Hyugas get wiped out because the village thinks them too powerful? Or what if they began to fear that Yamanaka's can get into their minds. Yes, I understand that the feud with the Senju and Uchihas was old and was the starting point, but at one point it was new. As long as I live I will not tolerate that to happen again," she frowned as she looked at us. She let out a breath as she settled back in her chair. "Ok, well once again I am sorry. I did use you. I just didn't know a better way," she sighed. I frowned. I didn't know how I felt about that. Logically I got it. Hurt a few for the betterment of the whole. But why the fuck did I have to be in the few? That would need time to really settle in. I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see Koji staring at me but I didn't look. "Well onto what we have decided with sentencing. It was clear that neither of you are enemies of Kohona. Though, your actions cannot be taken lightly," She looked to Koji. "For the assault of the village's ANBU, you are put on parole for six months. This means that you cannot leave the village. You will go to counseling sessions and meet with your parole officer twice a week," She said smoothly as she turned her head to me. "For your actions of abandoning the village, acting as a ronin, and for engaging in a fight with Leaf shinobi with in village grounds you have been sentenced to two years parole." My brows furrowed as I looked at her. I didn't understand the charged.

"Ronin?" I repeated. She smirked at me. What was the hell going on?

"A ronin is a ninja without an allegiance. You, Uchiha Shisui, had a home and a village that you had pledged allegiance to till your dying breath. You completed personal missions with no affiliation besides your alias," she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tell you brats the truth, I wanted to let you off with no punishments. Both of you have been through enough, but right now those two old coots want blood for what the town now knows and for the moment they still hold seats of power. This is the lightest sentence that I can get you off with," she slumped in her chair. "Though if this was handled in a private setting, neither of you would have seen the light of day for a long time." I grimaced at her words. This really was all a game. I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from telling her off. If it wasn't for the power struggles and this type of political game I would probably have my eyes, my best friend, and my clan. I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath.

"Where are we suppose to go? This village isn't our home, we have nowhere to stay, and no jobs," Koji blurt out. Another twitch pulls at Tsunade's lips.

"Sasuke and Shisui are now heirs of their clan. Never had Kohona disowned the Uchihas, for obvious reasons. Since the clan still is in affiliated with the village both have rights to clan lands. Once Sasuke came back, an area was set aside for the Uchiha. Though it is not a sprawling estate as it had once been, there are a few modest homes that had been built in the area. Currently, there are open residences there. There will be no worries about not having a roof over your head," she said as she looked at me. "And since you have adopted Koji, I would assume that you would offer your brother shelter?" She smirked as she raised a brow. All I could do was nod at her because I honestly didn't know what else to do. I didn't even know how I should feel, not to mention I was still having aftershocks of having my mind probed. "As for jobs. You both are more than welcome to come to the village as shinobi. Usually, it isn't allowed, but we would be crazy to turn down such assets. We'll just run a mock chunin exam if you are interested. Do you have any questions about the results of the hearing?" she asked as she picked up the pen on her desk and tapped it quickly. My mind was blank so I shook my head. Koji grunted an answer and she smiled to us. "Okay then, if you do feel free to drop by. The two of you are free to go," she moved her hand in a dismissive manner. Blinking I slowly turned my body to leave the room. "Oh, and Shisui?" I stopped as she called my name. To be honest it was still odd to hear people say it out loud that wasn't Noni. I looked at her wearily for a moment watching as her facial muscles became soft. "Give them time. Let them come to you," she said softly.

Numbness had taken over my body as I pushed the door open and took a step out. So much had changed in so little time, and now I wasn't even able to feel anything. Honestly, it was a relief to feel nothing. My body moved robotically as we walked into the hall.

"Hey Sui," I turned my head to see Naruto was leaning against the wall behind us watching me wearily. I didn't say anything only looked at him. He gave a tentative smile as he pushed himself off of the surface and stuck his hands in his pocket. "So, I guess I am the one that is going to show you where you are going to be staying," he said gently. Far too gently for the boy that I had met. So I just raised a brow and nodded my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Koji watching me carefully. "But," this time a large smile spread on his face. "There is something I want to show you first," he beamed. There, that was the look that fit him. Even though I could feel his chakra lightening as he spoke I couldn't react. Once more my head was bobbing at him.

We followed him through the halls and passages of the Hokage tower. Though it was laid out in the same manner, I could tell that it was all much newer than it had been in my memories. Silently I shook my head to myself. I didn't want to think of any more memories. So I looked to the surface of the walls and the designs that the stucco had made when it was built. It didn't take him long to lead us to the exit. I watched as Naruto put his hands on the door looking back over his shoulder to me with a smirk pulling on his lips. Slowly he opened it.

It was night, and the streets were bathed in a soft orange from the lanterns that were still hanging about. I couldn't help but notice that it was quite. The wind gently blew as leaf that had fallen fluttered by in the empty streets. It had seemed that everyone had made their way home from the day. Tentatively I took a step out. That's when I saw them. Standing at the bottom of the staircase with forced smiles. I just stood there for a moment, staring not being able to move. Then with out thinking, without waiting for permission, my body was suddenly launched forward as I rushed into Noni. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tight to me as I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth. Emotions began to hit me like a tidal wave as I held her and I couldn't stop the cry that fell from my lips.

One of her small arms wrapped tightly around my waist while I felt the other grasp onto the back of my head. Fingers fisting into my hair. The smell of leather and salt water still hung onto her. Her body shook, or was it mine? I couldn't tell. I could tell that she was crying also. I could feel the dampness collect onto my shirt as she held me. A large hand went to my shoulder and gripped it tightly. I could hear the shaky breath that Yosh was taking. Then I felt Koji behind me joining in. What a sight we must have made. Four grown people sobbing as they held each other. Though I didn't feel grown. No, I didn't feel the twenty-six years at that moment. I felt like I child who had just run to their mother to be consoled. I suppose that is what was happening.

I don't know how long we stood on the base of the stairs like that. I don't even know if anyone was watching us because I didn't care. I didn't want to let them go. I didn't want to think about anything. I just wanted to find the comfort in their presence. I wanted to cling onto them like they were a life saver.

"You two smell," Noni croaked. At that, a sobbed laugh left my mouth. Leave it to her to know how to completely ruin any moment. With reluctance, I released her from my grip and looked down and her. She half smiled as she looked up at me. Her silver eyes swirling as she let her eyes roam my face, her water line completely full but not spilling. "And you look like shit, kid," she said in her rough voice. My face pulled as I let out another laugh.

"Thanks, Noni," I sobbed as a smirk lifted on my lips. She smiled back to me in a half-quirked manner.

"You boys probably need some food," Yosh said as he cleared his throat. I looked up to the bear of a man that was looking to Koji and I with soft eyes. "Then a shower, Naruto-san said he would show us where it is you will be staying. So let us get something to eat and head to your... new home," he said with a strained smile. I didn't say anything to him as I reached out and pulled him into an embrace. My head only coming to his chest. There was a shocked intake of breath at my sudden movements but soon he was also embracing me. "We missed ya kid," he sighed. "Let's get going though, I don't want to stand out here all night," he said as he patted my back. I nodded into his chest before I let him go.

The walk to the residence was quite. Yosh had picked up some street food from vendors while Noni found her way into a liquor store then we continued with the trek. Numbly I took note that the new Uchiha district was in the opposite direction of Sakura's apartment and in a part of the village I had not been to. Though, that may not matter. Not if she didn't wish to speak to me any longer. I sighed as I looked forward and watched the hanging lanterns sway in the wind.

My new residence, because it wasn't my home, was located in the outer ring of the village. Just as it had been when they relocated the clan when I was a small boy. The area wasn't as suburban as the rest of the village. The small homes all had their own plot of land with ample space between each. The houses much more modern than the ones I grew up in. As we passed I took note of which homes had lights flickering within. It would make sense that others would be residing in the area. Even though it was supposedly meant to be the new Uchiha district, there was only one clan member... well... two clan members left.

"This is it," Naruto said as he turned to walk up a path. I followed him and looked at the dark house in front of me. It looked newer. The wood only stained a little with the abuse of the weather. The roof peaked in several areas, decorative finishes on the top of each one. It seemed to be two stories high. I suppose it was nice.

Naruto pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door. He reached in and flicked a light on in the entrance and then stepped aside to motion us is. Slowly I entered the house. Not thinking and out of habit, I immediately took the sandals off my feet as I looked around. It was an open area plan. The kitchen, dinning area, formal greeting area, and living room that were all fully furnished could all easily be seen from the door. The floors were a dark wood that gleamed with the light. In the middle of the large square room a staircase that led to the upstairs. I moved to the side and looked around as the others followed me. It wasn't bright and colorful. The walls were plain white. It didn't have any trinkets gathered all over the place. It didn't have the smell of soil mixed in with fruity and floral scents of body soap. There were no plants hung in the windows. It wasn't a home. Just an empty shell.

"Not bad," Koji said as he walked in and placed his sandals by the front door. I looked over to him and he looked to me and shrugged. "I mean it is a hell of a lot better than a cell."

"Yeah," I drawled and went back to looking at the area. Yosh made his way in and walked to the dining table and placed the bags of food he had procured down.

"Come on, let's eat," he said gently. There was a sound of someone clearing their throats and I turned to see Naruto hovering in the doorway.

"I'll let you guys get settled," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll come around tomorrow. If that is okay?" I nodded to him. "I... I just wanted to say I am really sorry for what happened," he frowned and looked to the ground. "I mean everything that happened. The whole situation is really messed up," he sighed heavily as he looked up at me with eyes that were so emotional that they rivaled Sakura's. I licked my lips as I nodded to him.

"Thank you," I said as my brows knitted and I shook my head. "but you don't have anything to apologize for," I said slowly. He blinked as he looked at me and smiled.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I am not sorry. But hey, I'll come back tomorrow. I mean I have to tell you about how I ate your eye!" He beamed and I could feel my eyes widened.

"What?" Surprise hit me like a rock as I stared slightly horrified at the blonde. His grin just spreads further on his face.

"Tomorrow! Enjoy your time with your family Sui!" he basically yelled before he turned to run off. I just watched him until he disappeared into the dark.

"Did he just say that he ate your eye?" Noni asked. I looked over at her and I know we had the same expressions of shock and horror on our faces. My hand reached up as I scratched my cheek.

"I don't even know," I stupidly sputtered.

We ate dinner and I had mildly recovered from Naruto's statement. Though I still didn't have the slightest as what he meant. There wasn't any point in ponders on it. He said he would explain the following day, so as hard as it was I shoved to the back of my mind. After we ate Koji and us both took showers and I was surprised at the fact that not only was the house furnished, but there was also clothing in the drawers in the bedroom. Clothing of the Uchiha clan. I slipped on a pair of black shinobi pants and pulled on a black shirt that had the Uchiha emblem sitting on the back. It all fit well, and I couldn't help but wonder about the clothes. I would have to ask someone about it.

I made my way downstairs and I could hear the soft conversation that the other three were having. From the directions that their voices came, I assumed that they were in the living room. So I padded down the stairs and ran my hand through my damp hair and turned to look at them. The stopped talking once I entered the room and I couldn't help but think they were walking on eggshell around me. Which they shouldn't be. I mean Koji had been through the same as I and they seemed to be acting normal with him. I fought the frown as I looked at them sitting on the sleek dark couches.

"Okay, I have to look," Noni said as she stood from her seat and walked over to me. Her hands reached up and cupped my cheeks and she peered at my face. Her eyes moving between my eyes as she arched a brow. Slowly her mouth turned into a lopsided smile. "You have my color eyes," she said as she tilted her head. My mouth twitched as I smiled back to her. Sighing she let go, but still kept her eyes trained on me. "It's a shame that you had to go through this," she stated flatly. I chewed the inside of my cheek as I looked at her. "It'll be fine though. Our family has gone through worse. Though, to be honest, the only one of you that I thought would ever get jailed was Koji," she said with a laugh. Behind her, I could hear him snorting at her. I smiled at them. The tightness that had been in my chest seemed to wane a bit as I looked at her.

"Thank you for coming," I said softly. Because even if I didn't know it, and even if she wasn't my biological mother, I had needed her. I didn't even know that until I saw her standing there with Yosh. I needed them both so much at that moment. She raised her hand and playfully slapped my cheek.

"No need to thank us. You're family. You two are our boys and not a god or a devil would have kept us from being here," She smiled tightly. I could tell that it was just to cover a frown as she narrowed her eyes at me. "If they would have kept you locked up I would have single handily took down this town." I snorted a laugh as I shook my head. I knew that wasn't a bluff. She would have tried. "Anyways, I know that it's weird right now and both of you are all messed up. But why don't we just play some cards and have some sake?" She sighed. I nodded to her. There was nothing else for me to really do. I wanted to track down Sakura and Sasuke. I wanted to just see her and him. I wouldn't though I would heed the Hokage's advice and wait.

"Sounds good," I said as I walked with her to the living room.

The next morning my head felt a little clearer, but there was still an ache in my chest. Having Noni and Yosh there made it better. They provided a distraction and didn't ask about anything they saw. I know there were moments when they thought about it, though. Times when they would suddenly frown and look away from us. It wouldn't last long. They would soon look back to us and talk about something that wouldn't go down that path. That night we caught up on a lot of gossip from the town that we would visit. I didn't bring up my time here, and I didn't bring up my eyes. I know they wanted to know, but I just wanted to not think, I just wanted to exist.

I woke up before anyone. It wasn't a surprise. I had been the first to go to bed. So I walked down this houses stairs silently as I heard the soft breaths of Noni and Yosh in the living room. Both were spread out on a couch, several drained sake bottles placed on the coffee table. I stood for a moment and watched them sleeping. I frowned a little as I there was nothing more that I wanted to do than go home with them. I wanted to go back to the inn, I wanted to smell and feel the familiar atmosphere. I couldn't. I was now stuck in the village for two years. I furrowed my brow as I watched Noni scratch her face roughly in her sleep. The thought then hit me: with just the two of them, how would they run the inn? I sighed as I realized that I had screwed everyone around me.

I quietly made my way into the kitchen. The least I could do was make breakfast for them. Again I was frowning as I realized that I didn't ask about the inn. I didn't even know if they had to close it to be here. Sure there were the occasional hired hands, but I didn't think that they would trust anyone but one of the family to run in by themselcved. If they did close, the monetary loss would be significant.

I entered the kitchen and I also realized that I didn't know if it had food. Yosh had bought food the night before and Noni had also picked up the sake. I didn't even check if there was anything else in the house. I was so numb I didn't care. I opened the refrigerator with a relieved sigh. It was stocked. I don't know who had made sure that we had what we needed but I was grateful to whoever it was. Just as I was about to reach for the eggs there was a soft knock on the door. I glanced over to the sleeping bodies in the living room to see neither had moved at the noise.

I made my way to the door with my brow knitted. It was only seven thirty in the morning. Who the hell would be here this early? I stopped for a moment as I thought that it may be Sakura. My heart pumped a little faster as I released my chakra only to feel disappointment when it wasn't her. I walked a little slower to the door and opened it to a beaming Naruto. Then I remembered what he had told me last night.

"Sorry about being here this early. I didn't know if you had any food in this place, so I thought that I would stop by with some," he said cheerfully as I closed the door behind me after stepping out to the porch. I turned to see him holding up a pink box of pastries that were much more of a dessert than a breakfast. I ignored the box and the sweet smell that was coming from it.

"You said you ate my eye!" I hissed at him. "Then you left! Who does that?" The box shook in his hand for a moment as he wheezed out a laugh before he lowered it.

"Yeah, but I told you I would explain. I mean, it isn't as gross as it sounds," he shrugged and lifted the box. "Breakfast?" I snatched the box away from him and glared at him. He just smiled.

"Let me just take this inside. The others are sleeping and I don't want to wake them up," I sighed as I rolled my eyes. He nodded to me and took a step back from the door. Sighing again I quickly entered the house and placed the box on the table and silently walked out the door. Naruto was now standing off the front porch on the sidewalk that lead to the house. I walked to him and raised a brow.

"Was it the one that Danzo took?" I asked him before he could say a word. He furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"Ohh, gross no. You know the guy had the eyes he stole implanted in his arm?" Naruto visibly shook in disgust as he spoke. My mouth dropped open at that bit of information. My stomach also churned at the thought.

"Nah, it was the one that you gave Itachi," He was no longer smiling at me as he looked to me with large blue eyes. "I didn't mean to blurt it out last night. I kinda have an issue with knowing when to shut up," he said with a dry laugh as he shrugged. "Anyways, you saved my life," he said with resolve as he looked at me. I didn't get it. How had I had any influence in his life? I didn't say anything I just waited for a better explanation. "You see before Itachi and Sasuke fought, I ran into Itachi. He asked me what I would do if Sasuke tried to destroy the village. I told him I wouldn't let him," his blonde brows drew down as if he was thinking of something. "Back then I thought that it was a genjutsu he used on me, but it wasn't. You know the crow that you heard when gave him your eye?" I slowly nodded my head. "Well, he placed it, your eye, in that crow. He then placed that crow inside of me. Well... Not really placed it, more like shoved it down my throat. I am pretty sure his intentions were for me to use your eye on Sasuke, but it didn't work out that way. You know he was raised, right? When all those dead shinobi were reanimated?"

"Yeah," I nodded my head as I closed my eyes. "You had brought it up a while ago. I had really hoped that he wasn't though."

"He was," Naruto said slowly. "But he didn't stay under their control. I don't know if you know about that. But the ones that came back they were forced to do the bidding of whoever it was that raised them. Well, Itachi came back with a guy known as Nagato," he raised a brow. I had heard the name, but it didn't mean anything to me. "Well, I don't know if you heard about when the village was destroyed a few years back, but that's the guy that did that. Anyways, when I was fighting to get to the front lines to face Madara is when I came across them. I know they didn't want to fight, but they had no control. I don't think I would have lasted in that fight, not at all," he shook his head. "But, your eye. YOUR will of fire is what saved me. You are the reason that Itachi could cast off the commands. You are the reason that he fought, once again with the Leaf, hell with the world. Honestly, if he didn't have control of his body I could have been killed by those black flames," he sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, I don't know how different it would have been if nothing happened to you. I'm not like the Nara, I can't see twenty steps ahead in all directions, but I do know that the reason we are all still here is partly because of you," a small smile played on his lips as his blue eyes looked to me. My mouth was open. I... I didn't know any of that. Itachi had come back. I had helped in when I thought that I had absolutely failed him. Naruto chuckled as he shook his head. "Yeah, so in short I ate your eye and you saved my life. So thanks for that Sui," he smiled.

I laughed. A real laugh because this whole thing was so twisted. I mean I entrusted my eye with Itachi but thought that it got pushed to the side, to never be used, once I heard that he followed Danzo's orders. But... here Naruto was standing in front of me thanking me for what I had done all those years ago. It was worth something. What I did had made a difference. It had helped Itachi when he was drug from the grave, and it had helped this boy. This boy, who was the reason the world still existed. After I gained control of myself I looked at him with utter disbelief and such relief. "You don't have to thank me," I said as I shook my head. "But thank YOU Naruto. Thank you for telling me that. It means more then I can tell you," I grinned at him. The weight that was pressing on my chest pulled off even more. Okay, I was fucking proud. Proud to have helped. Proud that Itachi was so damn smart. He smiled at me again.

"It's good to see you smile, after yesterday I didn't know if you would for a while," He laughed. Nothing could take this moment away. "Anyways. I also was told to drop this off," he said as he began to fish through a pack that was on his leg. He pulled out what looked to be a wallet.

"Tsunade said that this is all the information you need to access the Uchiha accounts at the bank," he said as his hand held it out. I felt my brow raise as I looked down at it. This I hadn't expected either. I mean, yeah all clans had their own funding and banking accounts, but I didn't think that I would ever have access to it. I laughed as I took it from him. Fugaku might just be rolling in his grave at the moment.

"You wanna come in for breakfast?" I asked as I placed the wallet in my back pocket. Naruto shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't think that would be a good idea. I mean I got two of those boxes and ate one on the way here," He said as he pursed his lips. Holy shit. By the weight of the box, there had to be more than a dozen pastries in there. A laugh crept past my lips as he scratched the back of his neck like a child that had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Oh, and Tsunade also wants you to come to the Hokage tower next Tuesday at noon. I think she wants to run some test on your eyes. Don't quote me on that, though. She was kinda hung over when she was talking about it, but she was muttering about your eyes and that she needed to assign a parole officer and counseling for the two of you. Anyways, I have to get running. I told Hinata I would have brunch with her and her father," he said as a visible shiver ran through his body.

Noni and Yosh stayed for two more days. I didn't want them to leave, but I couldn't ask them to stay. They had a life and a business, and just because I was stuck in this village I couldn't ask them to give that up. So they left. There were hugs but no tears. Each saying that they'll be stopping by in a few months. I tried to tell them that they didn't have to, but Noni glared daggers at me and Yosh had said that there was the extra perk of exotic ingredients here. So Koji and I walked them to the gates and stood watching them until they disappeared into the forest.

The house was much quieter. Well, as quite as it was going to be with having Koji around. He was also becoming more obnoxious as the time passed. He was bored. I got it. I was too. Naruto had made a habit of stopping by each morning for the past few days. He didn't bring pastries, instead, he would eat the breakfasts I made. Even though I didn't mind his visits, I would much rather have had Sakura come by. She didn't though. And she wouldn't for a while. It seemed a day after the trial she took a mission that would last a few weeks at the minimum. When Naruto told me my stomach had dropped. I grew up in a clan that was mostly made of shinobi. I had seen people use missions as an escape from problems in their personal lives. It was kinda ironic. The people that would run to their deaths for the village would often run from the people within the walls. I couldn't do anything but wait for her. That is if she sought me out. I wished that my eyes needed daily if not every other day check ups. That way she would have to see me. They didn't though, she said she technically only needed to check them out once every few weeks, but looked after them more often because we were constantly together.

Even thought I wanted to, I didn't ask Naruto about Sasuke. That was a subject that I didn't know how to bridge and frankly, I wanted to talk to him and not about him. I had assumed that he would show up, but he hadn't. It was another waiting game. On the bright side, he didn't come saying that he was going to have me executed, so that was something. By the fourth day of Naruto coming to breakfast, we were running low on food. I mean, Koji had always eaten a lot, but Naruto made him seem like he ate like a bird. In that time, I hadn't left the house nor the new Uchiha district. No, the furthest I had ventured was out into the back yard to do some light training and walking Noni and Yosh to the gates. But now we were just down to eggs and a few vegetables. There was no way that would even be enough for the day.

So with a frown, I walked into Koji's room to find him laying on the bed. One arm behind his head, his legs crossed at the ankle and a book in his hand.

"We need to get food," I said as I leaned on the door frame. He lowered the book and looked at me over the pages.

"Yeah," he said slowly. His brow was raised as he looked at me. My lips tightened for a moment.

"I need to go into the village. To the bank than to the store. Wanna tag along?" I asked as I crossed my arms. He cocked his head as if in deep thought. Because it took so much thought to determine if he wanted to come with. I rolled my eyes. This was an action that I was using a lot with him. "Got anything else better to do?"

"Well this book is enthralling," he smirked as he lifted it up. "But, getting out of this house may be a good change," he said as he sat then stood from his bed. I was relieved that he had agreed to come with. It may have been cowardly, but I didn't want to face the village alone.

It was cold out, but that didn't keep people in. Instead, they just bundled up and walked faster to where ever it was that they were going to. It also wasn't cold enough for then not to stop and stare. Some were brave enough to murmur a greeting as Koji and I walked the busy streets, though must just looked at us and would whisper in harsh tones to whoever it was that was accompanying them. The name Uchiha hissed around us constantly. I tried to ignore it. I pushed my hands into the pocket of the hooded sweatshirt I was wearing, which of course had the clan fan displayed on the back, and kept my eyes forward. I could feel the tension rolling off Koji as he walked next to me silently.

"We should sell tickets or something," he grumbled under his breath. I glanced over at him to see him looking at the ground intently. Which was kind of amazing, since Koji loved attention. Though, this was a little much for anyone. "I feel like I am a walking side show," he sighed as we entered the bank. I took in a breath as I quirked my mouth and shrugged. People would get over it. Eventually. I hoped.

We walked up to the teller desk and a woman with light brown hair and hazel eyes looked up at us with surprise. Her mouth hung slightly open and her eyes were bigger than sake saucers. She shook herself as she strained a smile.

"Hello Uchiha-san," she greeted. Even thought I had heard it through out the walk it was still odd to hear my last name directed at me. I mean the only time I had heard it was when people talked about the massacre, Itachi or Sasuke. It was never a title or used without some type of negative context. I forced a smile as I looked at her. "How may I help you?"

"I need to pull some money out of the clan account," I said as I began to go through the pockets of my pants looking for the wallet Naruto had given me. "Uh, I don't really know how much is in it, but could you give me the balance?" I asked as I pulled the wallet out and pulled the bank card from it and pushed it over the counter. She smiled as she nodded her head and picked up the card.

"It will just be one moment," she said then turned to go find the records.

"Holy shit," Koji hissed next to me as we both looked down at the paper in my hands. I blinked as I looked at the number. There were a lot of commas in it, and a lot of digits. More than I ever thought was possible.

"Based on the records, All payments that were due to the Uchiha shinobi were deferred in the clan account, after... the incident..." She said slowly as she looked at a piece of paper in front of her. "Also, all personal accounts of the deceased were added to the clan account." She said as she looked up. I swallowed as I looked at the number again. I never thought about it, but now that I did I didn't think there would be any money in it. Why would... Sasuke. Technically this was placed aside for his use. The kid would never have to worry about anything financially. I couldn't help but frown as I wondered if this was a way the village was buying him off. "How much are you wishing to withdraw?" I looked up to see her smiling gently.

"We should get some flicks," Koji said as we walked the aisles of the grocery store. I grabbed some vegetable from the produce refrigerator and shrugged.

"Sure, if you want." It was actually a good idea. There was little to do at the house so a distraction would be appreciated. "We'll stop at a rental place later." Koji hummed an agreement and followed after me.

"When we see the Hokage about the conditions of our parole, I am going to ask about what she said about working as a shinobi," he said casually. I looked over at him to see he was looking at me cautiously. I wondered if he thought I was going to disagree. I didn't. Because I had been thinking the same thing. I couldn't keep staying in the house. I couldn't not do anything. I wanted something to pass the two years along. I also wanted to feel like a shinobi again. I also wanted to see the world. I wanted to see everything and the only way they would probably let me leave the village was on a mission. I would take it.

"Okay," I said as I walked away. Koji made a weird coughing noise behind me. He quickly jogged next to me.

"Really?" He looked at me with a raised brow. "I thought you would say it wasn't a good idea," He murmured.

"Koji, I know you are a good..."

"Uchiha-san?" A voice called from behind me. It was familiar but not at the same time. I looked over my shoulder to see a woman with dark blonde hair and green eyes standing behind us. Her face was tight and her muscles were stiff. I narrowed my eyes, I knew her but how?

"Afternoon," I said slowly to her. She stiffly nodded at me and smoothed her hands over her dress. Okay, maybe she just wanted to say hi? But she didn't move and she didn't speak, all she did was stare at me. I shift my weight as I look at Koji who is looking at her with confusion. "So, Uh. Have a nice day," I said with an awkward smile and nod. I turn to push my cart forward to hear her clearing her throat.

"I would like to apologize," she speaks up in a curt voice. That is when I remember who this is. I did know her. I turned on my heels and look to the woman who was now looking to the ground her cheeks and the tips of her ears becoming red. She took a breath in as she turned her green eyes to me. They weren't as green as her daughters. "I am sorry for the manner in which I spoke to you and of you. It was most unbecoming," she said stiffly. I raised a brow as I looked at her.

"Unbecoming because you now know of my lineage?" It just came out. I couldn't stop myself. Her eyes grew wider as her skin flushed even more. "Now that you know that I do have good blood in me?" My voice drops as I ask. She stills under my gaze. Then suddenly her lips pull into a sad smirk.

"I can be a horrible person," she said quietly. Her shoulders fell as she said the words. "I know. Sakura has said it to me also," she bit her lips, the lines around her mouth becoming more pronounced. "I can't take back what I have said. And perhaps you are right. Perhaps I feel the need to clear the air now that the village knows who you are, but I am truly sorry." Her shoulders squared as she looked at me and her eyes hardened. I shook my head.

"Forget about it," I sigh. Because I didn't want to fight with the woman. There was no point. Even if she thought that I was now worthy of her it didn't matter. This would probably be the beginning of this type of shit. Political, social climbing bull shit. I walked away with Koji on my heels.

I had a hard time sleeping. Well, I had a hard time sleeping since my fight with Sasuke. It was well past one in the morning and I laid in my bed looking up at the ceiling. For a moment I thought about going and putting on a movie. I had let Koji get whatever he wanted so he had started a small library that should keep us entertained for hours. It was late though, and he was sleeping. I didn't want to disturb him.

Grunting I pulled myself from my bed and threw on a pair sweatpants and sweatshirt. I stood for a moment in the room, not knowing what I was going to do. I looked to the window to see that the sky was clear and the stars shone brightly. Without much thought I found myself opening it, letting a rush of cold air into the room than climbing out of it.

I sat on the roof of the house and looked up at the sky. It was quite and the smell of the pine trees filled the air with the slow moving breeze. It smelled like the island. I looked up to the half crescent moon and watched as a cloud drifted in front of it. I sat there for a long while watching the sky, letting myself revel in the fact that my mind was blank for a moment.

I didn't move as I felt him approaching. I didn't even look back when I heard the footsteps on the shingles behind me. I stayed still not knowing quite what to do. So there I sat looking to the sky while he stood behind me for a moment. He moved after a while his footsteps were slow and almost cautious as he walked up next to me. I heard the movement of fabric as he shifted, but I still didn't look. I felt like if I did he would run. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see one of his lower legs and sandaled foot as he sat next to me. We sat for a while in the silence. To me, it didn't feel strained. I didn't feel the need to fill it at the moment. He would talk when he was ready, and I wasn't going to push it.

"How did you do it?" He asked softly and slowly. I slowly moved my head to look at him. He wasn't looking at me. Instead, he was looking up at the moon. His long black hair framing his pale face which was almost blue in the light of the moon and stars. I knitted my brows as I thought about his question but couldn't understand what he had meant by it.

"Do what?" I asked slowly. He didn't look at me, but I kept my eyes trained on him. His shoulders rose as he took a breath through his nose and slowly closed his eyes.

"How did you not succumb to the curse of hate?" His eyes remained closed as he spoke. I could feel my eyes tighten as I looked at him for a moment. Then I let out a snort. The sound caused him to open up his eyes and he turned his head to look at me. At that moment, he looked so young. He looked like a child that was lost. It felt like his dark eyes were pleading with me for an answer. One, I didn't know I could give. "You lost everything. You lost everything twice, but you didn't become destructive and try to burn the world. How?" I felt my chest clench at the question. I shook my head and looked back to the sky.

"The clan curse is bullshit," I said as I kept my gaze to the heavens. I remember my father talking about it. He hated the sacred text and he refused to believe them. I guess I had taken after him. Which was fine by me. My father was a great man. I waited to see if Sasuke would respond because he may be family but I didn't know him. I didn't know how he would take my words. He stayed quite. I took in a deep breath and exhaled, glancing at his face out of the corner of my eyes. He was still looking at me, but it seemed that his brows were drawn in confusion and his mouth was tight. He slowly shook his head.

"No," he responded. I had a feeling he wanted it to come out stronger, but there was something about his tone that sounded as if he was questioning. "The Sharingan is the manifestation of that curse." Those words were strong and blunt. He was speaking of what he thought were facts. They weren't though. I knew with every fiber of my being they were wrong. I shook my head.

"No, it's not," I said softly. I then turned to look at him and he was looking at me with a guarded expression. "Do you know how I activated mine?" I asked. In the clan, it was a taboo subject. You never asked another Uchiha how it happened because for most it did involve tragedy. That wasn't always the case.

"You were young," he said hesitantly as he spoke. I nodded at him. "That's all I know."

"I had just turned four. It wasn't the youngest Uchiha ever, but still pretty close," I smiled gently. I could feel the pull of chakra go to my eyes and I knew I had activated my Sharingan. I closed my eyes as the memory resurfaced. Clear as day. Chubby cheeks with a dusting of pink. Small lips that moved as if there was a pacifier in her mouth. "It was when I met my baby sister," I said still with my eyes closed. Still looking at her face and the small puff of black hair on the crown of her head. Taking a breath I opened my eyes and looked to Sasuke, who still looked confused but he also had a small hitch in his breath as he looked at my eyes. I had forgotten that they would be red for a moment and blinked them back to the silver color they were currently.

"A sister," he murmured. I didn't know if it was just a statement or a question so I nodded to him and looked back to the sky.

"Little Emiko. The name really did fit her. She was always smiling. Even when she was a newborn. I remember my parents and other adults saying it was just a look when she was passing gas, but I knew it was a real smile," I took a breath and focused on the moon. "You wouldn't know that. She was older than you, before your time." My smile faded as I began to frown. "She was born with a disease that made her muscles deteriorate. There was nothing that they could do at the hospital for her. Not even chakra could help. She passed away shortly after she turned two," I looked back at him. His face was no longer confused, but it didn't show much emotion. "She is the reason I gained my Sharingan," I stated firmly. "It wasn't because of loss, it wasn't because of a soul crushing tragic event. It was because of the overwhelming feeling I felt when I looked at her. The love that I felt at being a big brother, that she was my sister and I was her brother. It was something I remember wanting for all my life. To have a sibling," I breathed out a chuckle as I let my hand run through my hair. "I am actually surprised that Itachi didn't get his the day you were born," I smiled as I looked at him. He shifted his weight, pulling his legs in to sit cross legged and putting his hand in his lap. His brows knitted as he looked down at it.

"It was well known that you needed a trauma," he nearly whispered. "It was stated as a fact time and time again that you had to be devastated to activate it," he said as he shook his head. There was disbelief in his tone. I sighed at the stupid myth.

"The clan was odd," I said slowly. "I mean since we were young we were told that emotion was weak, but we gained our blood limit with it. I guess that is how my family was different from most," I shrugged. "My mother and father encouraged emotion. I remember my father telling me that it was okay to cry, that it was ok to nearly piss yourself with excitement, to do a victory dance when you mastered a new Jutsu" I laughed. "We were a bit of the black sheeps in the clan. I just never pushed my emotions away. I always felt them and felt them keenly. I have felt joy and happiness in such a way that i felt like it was burning me from the inside. I have felt love that felt as if it could move mountains. I have felt utter devastation, so much so I have wanted to die on multiple occasions. I have been angry. I have felt sorrow that I thought was going to tear me up from the inside. It would have been easy to stay there. It would have been so easy to give in, but at the same time even when I was in my darkest moments, I still felt the love I had. The love I had for the village, for my family, biological and adopted. I still feel the love I have for you and Itachi," I took a shaky breath in. "I don't know if it's true, and I am probably just rambling here, but I think that the reason not many had theirs activated with anything other then grief is because they were trained to ignore the other emotions. To focus on the darkness to give them power. Then again I could be wrong," I shrugged."I just know I didn't need pain for mine."

Sasuke looked at me intently. I couldn't tell what the man was thinking. He was much harder to read than his brother but I had to remind myself Itachi and I had so much more time together. Sasuke was seven the last time I saw him. While I liked being around him and I loved him he wasn't old enough for me to form the same bond I had with Itachi.

"Your Sharingan never advanced with pain and loss?"

"No," I said slowly. "It did. I gained a tome in my eye when Emiko was born. The next tome was when my parents died. The last tome was actually my first kiss, and my Mangekyo was when I watched a teammate die," I listed out each advancement slowly. "It was mix, just like life, of good and bad. Moments that changed everything for me," I cast my eyes down and looked at the rough wood of the shingles. I heard him make some type of humming noise. I pulled in my lips and bit down with my teeth. There was so much I wanted to say, there was so much I wanted to ask. I didn't though. I was going to let him take the lead because honestly, it felt as if there was a wild animal next to me. If I moved too quickly he would run. And I had just unloaded a lot of information. Information that I hadn't thought or spoke of in over a decade. From a life that no longer felt like mine.

"It's late," he said suddenly. I took note that there wasn't much inflection in his tone when he spoke. I hummed in agreement.

"And cold," I mumbled as the wind began to pick up. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his hair swaying. He grunted a response. Turning my head I looked at him to see him looking up at the sky. His face stoic as he did so. "You wanna come down for some tea?" I hesitantly asked. I did want to talk to him but the chill was getting to me. He slowly shook his head.

"I should be getting home," he said as he stood slowly. I couldn't stop the yawn that escaped my mouth as I rubbed my eyes. "You probably shouldn't do that?" I looked up with a raised brow not understand what he was talking about. "Rubbing your eyes," he said as he looked down at me. There was the smallest raise in the corner of his mouth. "I heard Sakura in the memories. She said not to rub them," his voice was still almost monotone as he spoke. I smirked and shook my head.

"Yeah, yeah," I said as I dropped my hands then pulled my body up off of the roof. I stood and looked at him.

"We'll talk again?" He asked softly. I grinned at the question.

"Sure think Sasuke-chan," I said my mouth pulling even wider. His eyes immediately narrowed and a small frown pulled on his lips. I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up, because with that look I saw the cute little cousin I loved.

 **No Sakura, not yet. But we did have a little time with Sasuke. I'll be honest here. I really like Sasuke, thought I hated the ending. I really wanted more. I wanted to see him rebuild his life, to see where he fucked up, his relationships with his team. I felt that having him leave was a little of a cop out. I just felt that he was left as hallow as the Easter bunny I just ate. That's also the reason I am not super keen on Sasuke/Sakura. Now, I haven't read the light novels, but it still doesn't sound like there was much interaction between the two. But, then again I am not his creator so...**

 **Anyways, thank you all for your follows favs and comments. I really wish that I could reply to all, but usually I am doing this is my spare time, and I don't have a ton. They do mean soooo much though. I want to let you all do that...**

 **For a reviewer. No the kitten sacrafice comment wasn't referring to anything, but it did make me look up the book. I am now on a waiting list at the library for it. So thanks for that! Hopefully it is returned soon!**

 **I hope you all are doing well and have a great week!**


End file.
